Author: Autism Today News.

From the 1 April – 30 April we celebrate World Autism Month. Following World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, you can continue celebrating autism awareness and information to mark the month. Why not start with some published guest blogs? Panel Members Jessica, Alice and Annabel talk about the positives of being autistic, how an autistic determination enables success, and the importance of kindness and peer support.  The Autistic Young Experts YouTube Channel- The Autistic Young Experts released their first YouTube videos on 27th March. You can watch them on the channel here  at Autistic Young Experts – YouTube. Kicking off with…

It was not until Caroline Andrew was 11 years old, after experiencing almost all of her primary school education without adequate supports, that she officially learnt she was autistic.Key points:New federal autism guidelines aim to ensure consistent, clear support for autistic children up to 12Kate Andrew wished the guidelines were around when her daughter Caroline was at schoolCaroline, now 22, says her being diagnosed as autistic has made her life easierNow 22, Caroline said without a formal diagnosis, and therefore no accommodations in place, she found concentrating in class difficult and she experienced a hard time socially.”I hadn’t been having a great time in terms…

An Ennis mother of a student with autism says the provision of extra technology is crucial to enable her child and others to absorb knowledge in the classroom. Rachel Dinnen is organising a fundraiser for vital technology for students with autism at Ennis Educate Together National School. The school currently has two autism classes, each with 6 students and its hoped that with extra funds, their educational experience can be taken to the next level. Dinnen, who completed a thesis on the benefits of technology in the classroom, says computers and laptops help students to ignore everyday sensory distractions they…

This study consisted of two experiments, both involving participants with and without ASD. Experiment #1 explicitly served as replication and extension of a previous experiment32 investigating differences in human–human interaction and human–computer interaction. Experiment #2 was designed after analysis of the results from Experiment #1 to focus on a particular aspect of the results of interest for ASD.Both experiments made use of a cover story involving a confederate. Involvement of the confederate was performed as described by Vogel et al.32. Participants were led to believe they were performing the experiment together with another person. After having taken a seat in…

Diagnosed with autism at a young age, Temple Grandin has had a long history of advocating for autistic communities. At the beginning of her academic journey, Grandin struggled to find accessibility as an autistic student. Now, she speaks out about ways schools can be more accommodating to autistic students.   The best-selling author and autism awareness advocate visited Lehigh’s Zoellner Arts Center on Oct. 13 to discuss her experiences with autism and different thinkers in the world. Over 400 people attended Grandin’s talk, “The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism and Asperger’s.”  Representatives from local organizations including Good…

The 14-year-old victim was left with two black eyes and is now scared to leave her home after the alleged attack at Altona Pier last Wednesday.Year 9 student Dakota had been walking along the pier with a friend when she was allegedly set upon by a group of five teenagers.A teenage girl with autism has allegedly been bashed by a group of youths in Melbourne. (9News)She was allegedly punched more than 50 times and had an energy drink poured over her head before a man nearby intervened.The alleged attack was then posted online and sent to the victim’s sister.Dakota spent…

An estimated 400,000 children – around 3% of all children in England – are seeking support from health services for a suspected neurodevelopmental condition.  Thousands are waiting more than two years for their first appointment, while others had to wait over four years for diagnosis and professional support – highlighting stark inequalities in healthcare for some groups of children.  Children with suspected conditions like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), autism, cerebral palsy and a range of mobility and speech, language and communication difficulties are being left without appropriate support for years of their childhoods, a new report from the Children’s…

A child’s autism often first comes to light because of his or her atypical language development and social communication skills — differences that researchers have found often later carry over to a younger (‘high-risk’) sibling. Women are exquisitely tuned in to their babies’ vocal patterns, and studies have found that they intuitively foster their child’s language development by responding to the complex vocalizations — consonant babbles such as ‘ba ba,’ for example — that emerge by around 9 months of age. Connecting matters: Helen Tager-Flusberg links autism science to societyIllustration by Ivan Canu In a study last year, my colleagues…

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) has announced dates for the 2023 GTCO Autism Con- ference and follow-up consultations. This year’s programme is themed “Empowering Voices for Autism” to promote inclusivity and self-advocacy for persons on the Autism Spectrum. An offshoot of the Orange Ribbon Initiative, the GTCO Autism Conference has grown to become a reference point for autism advocacy and intervention in Africa, providing support and empowerment to thousands of people with neurodevelopmental disorders. Working with specialists and partner organisations within and outside Nigeria, the conference will feature lectures, panel discussions, and performances carefully prepared to showcase the diverse…

As a kid, Alex Newson played “teacher,” lining up her toys as pretend students for lessons. She grew up wanting to teach special education, in part because she has family members who have disabilities.“I’ve always been drawn to help those students because I often saw those were the students that were left out or not included in the ways that they should have been,” Newson said.She also had strong teachers throughout her school career who showed her what it meant to be a good educator.Alex Newson in Play-Doh form, created by an elementary student Newson taught. Newson left teaching in…