Armani Williams: The First Autistic NASCAR Driver
Twenty-year-old Michigan native Armani Williams was diagnosed with autism when he was two and considered non-verbal at the time. He recounts the pain and struggle of not being able to connect with other children and how after his parents…
Back from the Brink: An Autism Eating Disorder Recovery Story
Individuals on the autism spectrum are disproportionately affected by eating disorders which cause the highest mortality rates of any form of mental illness. Eating disorders tend to be more severe and prolonged in the autistic population…
Autistic Stimming Gains New Acceptance
Stimming, the restricted and repetitive behaviors such as hand-flapping, body-rocking and arm-waving have long been treated as something to eradicate in people with autism. After all, these behaviors are weird and distracting and simply…
Many with Autism Face Challenges Transitioning into Adulthood
It's well established that upon finishing high school, many teens with autism spectrum disorders are left without the proper support or health services that they previous had access to during their school-age years. In fact, in a survey of…
A Call to Action: Threats to the Disabled During COVID-19
We must guarantee the equal rights of people with disabilities to access healthcare and lifesaving procedures during the pandemic.
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the launch of Policy Brief on Persons with Disabilities and…
Temple Grandin’s Autism Advice During COVID-19
Dr. Temple Grandin, the famous autism luminary and Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University believes that "rigid academic and social expectations could wind up stifling a mind that, while it might struggle to conjugate a…
The Benefits of Therapy and Service Dogs for Autism
Past studies have proven that dogs work as social catalysts by encouraging people to bond with each other. Research has also found this to be evident in individuals with autism, including a review in the Journal of Alternative and…
The Link Between Autism and Seizures
There has always been a strong association between autism and seizures. In fact, it's estimated that 33 percent of people with epilepsy also meet the diagnostic criteria for an autism spectrum disorder, although some studies suggest the…
Police Interactions with Special Needs Students Remain Problematic
An appalling video has come to light showing an eight-year-old Florida boy with special needs being arrested and placed in handcuffs. At the time of his arrest, the youngster weighed only 64 pounds and his wrists were so small, the…
Amid COVID-19, Autism Families Face Back-To-School Dilemmas
Back-to-school means a lot of worry and scrambling as families try to navigate our nation’s uncertain future. When medical experts were queried as to whether they would send their child back to school, their answers distilled down to…