Author: Autism Today News.

Sophie, a 10-year-old, avoids straightforward tasks like getting dressed or doing homework. When her parents press her to comply, she might have a meltdown or withdraw to her room. At school, Sophie finds group activities difficult and sidesteps assignments by distracting herself or bargaining with her teachers. Initially, her parents viewed this behavior as defiance, but a psychologist diagnosed Sophie with pathological demand avoidance (PDA). They learned that Sophie’s behavior stemmed from anxiety about losing control over her environment. Using strategies to reduce demands and give Sophie more control helped reduce her anxiety and improved her ability to manage daily…

The process for diagnosing a child with autism heavily relies on a parent’s description of their child’s behavior and a professional’s observations. It leaves plenty of room for human error.Parents’ concerns may skew how they answer questionnaires. Providers may hold biases, leading them to underdiagnose certain groups. Children may show widely varying symptoms, depending on factors like culture and gender.A study published Monday in Nature Microbiology bolsters a growing body of research that suggests an unlikely path to more objective autism diagnoses: the gut microbiome.After analyzing more than 1,600 stool samples from children ages 1 to 13, researchers found several…

By Doris Obinna Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) will on Monday begin the 14th edition of its annual conference, which will centre on autism and follow-up consultations. According to GTCO, during a press briefing in Lagos on Thursday, this year’s conference, with theme: “A spectrum of possibilities,” will promote inclusivity, self-advocacy and empowerment for persons on the autism spectrum. Reading a press statement, Mr. Charles Eremi, for the GTCO Group Corporate Communications, disclosed that the theme aligns with the bank’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and its goal of creating a society where everyone can thrive and reach…

FRIENDSWOOD, Texas (KTRK) — Friendswood Independent School District’s new school year is underway, but they’re using an old building to make a difference.The Therapeutic Education Center is being housed at the district’s old junior high campus, and its purpose is to help students with autism and other developmental disabilities.”The Therapeutic Education Center at Friendswood is a 3-to-4-year labor of love,” Dahria Driskell, FISD Executive Director of Special Education, said.The center gives these students a place to receive individualized, specialized attention when the traditional classroom setting proves ineffective.It’s the result of a $1.3 million grant from the Texas Education Agency, and…

Six-minute readSusan Bloom  |  Special to the Asbury Park PressRED BANK – Having a close relative on the autism disorder spectrum revealed to fitness experts Zack and Stacey Ritchie just how few gym spaces accommodated the unique requirements of people with special needs.And the husband-and-wife duo sought to change that with their 2021 launch of Red Bank-based ZR Fit and Wellness, a gym that specializes in adaptive and inclusive fitness for people with disabilities.Growing up in the Somerset County town of Somerville, “my mother worked at The Midland School in Branchburg, a school for students with disabilities, and that was…

Register for free to listen to this article Thank you. Listen to this article using the player above. ✖ Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have uncovered a brain circuit in primates that rapidly detects faces. The findings help not only explain how primates sense and recognize faces, but could also have implications for understanding conditions such as autism, where face detection and recognition are often impaired from early childhood. The newly discovered circuit first engages an evolutionarily ancient part of the brain called the superior colliculus, which can then trigger the eyes and head to turn for…

Next month, researchers, clinicians and neurodiversity advocates plan to gather in Edinburgh, Scotland, for the “It Takes All Kinds of Minds” (ITAKOM) conference. The meeting, scheduled for 13 to 14 March, focuses on “the science and reality of neurodiversity” and “bringing together different perspectives” to “create a neurodiversity affirmative world,” according to the ITAKOM website. Its sponsor, the Scottish charity Salvesen Mindroom Centre, has hosted five previous conferences on “learning difficulties”; it supports people with neurodevelopmental conditions through one-on-one consultations, public advocacy and research collaborations. ITAKOM is the group’s first gathering since 2011, and its first to explicitly highlight neurodiversity.…

Melania Trump is speaking out about previous rumors that her son, Barron Trump, has autism.In her memoir, “Melania,” which was published on Oct. 8, the former first lady writes about her son being bullied after comedian Rosie O’Donnell tweeted about him appearing to have autism.In the tweet, which was later deleted, O’Donnell wrote, “Barron Trump autistic? If so, what an amazing opportunity to bring attention to the AUTISM epidemic.”UNIQUE THERAPY HELPS SOME YOUNG PEOPLE WITH AUTISM INTERACT BETTER WITH OTHERSO’Donnell also shared a 2016 video of Barron Trump at the Republican National Convention. Melania Trump is speaking out about previous…

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg describes herself as having Asperger’s while others on the autism spectrum, such as Australian comedian Hannah Gatsby, describe themselves as “autistic”. But what’s the difference?Today, the previous diagnoses of “Asperger’s disorder” and “autistic disorder” both fall within the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, or ASD.Autism describes a “neurotype” — a person’s thinking and information-processing style. Autism is one of the forms of diversity in human thinking, which comes with strengths and challenges.When these challenges become overwhelming and impact how a person learns, plays, works or socialises, a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is made.Greta Thunberg describes herself as having Asperger’s. (Reuters: Isabel…

For years the treatment of autism has been dominated by a single treatment modality called applied behavioral analysis (ABA). ABA is a treatment modality that was designed for children in the early 1970s based on the principles of behavioralism to help children integrate into neurotypical society. It has been shown through a massive profundity of research to help autistic children function better in school environments, have significant increases in social engagements with peers, and reduce repetitive stereotyped and hyper-fixated behaviors. However, emerging research shows that ABA does not help with the avalanche of mental health concerns that autistic adults have,…