The Spectrum of Awareness: Shining a Light on Severe Autism
With the celebratory tone of autism awareness month, it’s easy to overlook common aspects of the autistic experience that no reasonable person would salute. To achieve a meaningful level of autism awareness, one that benefits all autistic individuals, we need to tell the stories that are hard to hear.
What is wrong with The Labour Party’s “Autism Neurodiversity Manifesto” and autism identity politics?
Recently in the UK, a “Neurodiversity Manifesto” has been shared by the Labour Party. It has five key principles, each of them lacking in nuance, unreflective of the lived experiences, and ignoring research data.
Brothers on the Spectrum: My experience of sibling love, loss & severe autism
My memories of Jake playback on a snowy loop, a well-worn tape of sweet memories, always ending with the same tragic scene. But he lives on in my mind, inspiring me to move forward in my life while anchoring me to a brief time of companionship, freedom and happiness…I honour his memory by advocating for the rights of those like my little brother.
Join me at the Thinking Autism Conference. Let’s learn together.
The Thinking Autism conference blends the opportunity to quench my thirst for autism knowledge, attend accessible social events where I can meet those unique individuals I have built a friendship with online, and the necessary support from dedicated members of the Thinking Autism team, all of whom have a lifetime of first-hand autism experience.
All In A Row: Triumph of Art over Dogma
Today has been a day filled with anxiety and excitement in equal measure for this autistic humanoid. Driven by a love of puppetry, my interest in all things autism and a passion for the humble locomotive, I’ve broken my usually ironclad routine to make the 350 mile round trip to see All In a Row. For the uninitiated, it’s the somewhat controversial theatrical production featuring the severely autistic Laurence and his dysfunctional family…
Autism acceptance – false dichotomies and the damage done
When discussing autism—especially on the internet and in the media—there are way too many people who recklessly engage in false dichotomy. It’s a kind of extremism that gets us nowhere…I can say with 100% certainty that while I seek treatments for my child with autism, my acceptance of him is unconditional.
Century-old drug offers new hope for autism treatment
A small double-blind, placebo-controlled trial shows dramatic effects of suramin as a treatment for autism. Improvements were seen in all three core features of autism: language, social interactions, and restricted or repetitive behaviours across multiple diagnostics in multiple tests in all who received the active treatments, absent in the placebo arm
Higher rates of autism in children with various congenital disorders
Children with Congenital Heart Disease, Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Neurofibromatosis Type 1 suffer high rates of autism. Everolimus, an mTOR inhibitor with strong neuro-inflammation attenuating effects, reduces core autism symptoms in some children with TSC, epilepsy and autism…
Diuretic drug improves core autism symptoms
Double-blind randomized multicenter trial finds bumetanide ameliorates core symptoms of autism. A medical drug normally used to relieve fluid retention has been repurposed as a treatment for the core symptoms of autism. Following on from the promising results of their...
Perinatal risk factors and pregnancy complication associated with autism
Babies who are exposed to perinatal complicatios incl. asphyxia, preeclampsia, and meconium-stained amniotic fluid, are at increased risk of developing autism. The risk is especially high for babies exposed to complications both before and during birth.
Latest findings confirm pathological role of the immune system and inflammation in autism
Accumulating evidence suggests an association between immune dysfunction and pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorders in a large number of affected individuals. Findings from diverse fields of science and experimental animal studies point to close interconnectedness of the immune and the nervous systems