Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

The line stretched Wednesday afternoon down Landis Avenue as it seemed like everyone in Sea Isle City was waiting to enter the Ocean Drive. For Jason Kelce, that sight — hordes of people waiting to see him tend bar at his fundraiser for the Eagles Autism Foundation — would have felt like a dream a…

As a parent, it can be challenging to navigate the world of autism and find the right resources to help your child thrive. One approach that has gained popularity is Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) training. CPI is a program designed to equip parents, teachers, and caregivers with the skills to manage and prevent crises effectively.…

Spearheaded by Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse, the City Council passed a bill last week to require the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to train officers to be better at identifying and engaging appropriately with New Yorkers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as rates have risen in recent years. “Requiring our police force to undergo such…

When Matthew Maenner, PhD, was in college, he started working with autistic children as a behavioral therapist. In those days—the early 2000s—autism was still a relatively new diagnosis, and there were few supports available for autistic people. “No one knew what to do to help,” Maenner recalled in a recent interview with JAMA. Parents were…

Featuring: David Mooter, Senior Analyst and Jonathan Roberts, Senior Analyst Show Notes: When Senior Analysts David Mooter and Jonathan Roberts set out to research trends in autism-friendly hiring practices, they didn’t know exactly what they’d find. But after many interviews with firms that have implemented programs and practices in this area, one thing became clear:…

We have lots of new moms and dads who have joined our daily email group, so I’m getting lots of emails with questions about The Autism Workbook and speech therapy for toddlers with autism. I thought I’d answer those here in case you have those questions too! Read a few parent and professional testimonials at the…

Daniel Etra, CEO and Co-founder, RethinkFirst We all know the stark reality: rates of mental illness, substance use, and developmental disorders continue to rise in the U.S. and estimates show that 1 in 44 children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  Add to that the ongoing efforts to reduce stigma and it’s no surprise…

There’s never an easy way to potty train a child. It can take time, patience, and consistency to get your little one house-trained – but the process may look very different for those with children who have autism. Potty training a child with autism challenges parents in unique ways that aren’t found in the typical…

LONDON (AP) — Several people with autism and intellectual disabilities have been legally euthanized in the Netherlands in recent years because they said they could not lead normal lives, researchers have found. The cases included five people younger than 30 who cited autism as either the only reason or a major contributing factor for euthanasia,…

Cell boost: Model mice treated with clemastine (bottom) have more newly formed oligodendrocytes than untreated mice (top). Last June, Brady Maher gave a talk about the promise of repurposing existing drugs for people with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, a rare genetic condition that’s often accompanied by autism. Among the compounds he mentioned was the antihistamine clemastine fumurate,…