Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK Jr.) is well-known for being an anti-vaxxer. He is less well-known for being hostile to autistic people, but experts agree on one thing: The views that RFK Jr. espouses cause significant harm to real-life autistic individuals. Autistic people have been victimized by RFK Jr. for decades. By spreading anti-vaccine misinformation…

This study was approved by the Ethical Committee for Biomedical Research at the University of Leuven, KU Leuven (S61358) in accordance with The Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki). Written informed consent from the parents and assent from the child were obtained prior to the study. Participants Eighty children with…

This “A Full Spectrum Family: Autism and ADHD” article has been reviewed and approved by Wesley. He hopes it helps others understand the difference between Autism and ADHD, and help others recognize it is possible to thrive in life with one, the other, or both! It’s been a big couple of years for our family.…

PHILADELPHIA — Invo Healthcare, a child behavioral health services provider headquartered in Doylestown, told Pennsylvania regulators this month that it will lay off 94 workers as it closes its Delco subsidiary, ABA2Day Behavior Services. Invo operates in 27 states and owns multiple subsidiaries that provide services in schools and therapy centers for children with intellectual…

The new  titled “Pocketing Money Meant for Special Needs Kids: Private Equity in Autism Services” by Cornell University’s Rosemary Batt and the Center for Economic and Policy Research’s Eileen Appelbaum is re-released today. Just days ago on June 11, private equity firm Blackstone announced the bankruptcy of its national autism services chain, the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD).…

Soothing sensitivities: Insights from occupational therapy can ease overstimulation during health care visits. Westend61 / Getty Images The Expert: Leah Stein Duker Assistant professor, University of Southern California A trip to the dentist — replete with buzzing tools, squirting water and bright lights — can prove uncomfortable for anyone. But these experiences may be especially…

An estimated 25-30% of children with autism are considered minimally verbal. Communication delays can be directly related to the core characteristics of autism or the result of commonly co-occurring conditions like verbal apraxia. Difficulty communicating wants and needs can be distressing for both autistic individuals and their families, impacting social relationships, access to education, and…

One of the best things I ever did for myself was to put my mental health first and not be afraid to talk about it. Please teach our society that seeking support for mental health challenges doesn’t make someone ‘crazy.’ When I was a kid growing up on the autism spectrum, I saw a therapist…

Receptor ramifications: Microglia with serotonin receptors (top row) have more branches and make more contact points with synapses than do those lacking the receptors (bottom row). Mice with microglia missing receptors for the neurotransmitter serotonin since birth have social difficulties and other autism-like behaviors, a new study has found. Eliminating the receptors in adult mice…

Powerful predictions: Calculating the combined contributions of synchronous brain activity across the cortex, shown in different colors, may predict cognitive ability. A metric called a polyneuro risk score can help researchers figure out relationships between brain activity and behavior, according to a new study. Scientists could use the approach to characterize subtypes of autism and…