In mid-May, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it will provide an additional $144 million to states and districts to use for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) programs. According to an article on the K-12 Dive website, about $123.6 million will go toward IDEA Part B grants for students ages 3 through 21 and $20.5 million to Part C early…
On March 3, a group of autism researchers and advocates announced the creation of an independent advisory body to help guide autism research priorities, according to Reuters. The group held its first meeting on March 19, which was also when the federally mandated Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) would have met, had the meeting not…
A Swedish study recently published in BMJ suggests that autism may not be more prevalent in boys than girls. Researchers analyzed autism diagnoses in children born in Sweden between 1985 and 2020. By the end of the study in 2022, the male-to-female ratio was 1.2 and researchers projected that it would be equal at age 20 by 2024. Historically,…
Mattel introduced a new Barbie, who is autistic and reflects some common features of autism, in January. In development for more than 18 months in partnership with ASAN, this doll joins the Barbie Fashionistas collection, which features a diverse range of skin tones, hair textures, body types, and various medical conditions and disabilities. In its announcement welcoming the new doll, ASAN…
TroveMarket.com is the first online marketplace in the country exclusively for entrepreneurs with disabilities. It went live at Thanksgiving with items ranging from greeting cards and personalized tumblers to jewelry and potholders, all made by sellers with disabilities. When Belle Meador, a young autistic woman created a microbusiness selling handmade greeting cards, she inspired her…
A congressionally mandated study by the National Academy of Sciences recommended that the Defense Health Agency (DHA) cover applied behavior analysis (ABA) for military families as a basic benefit through their TRICARE coverage. As reported by Behavioral Health Business, ABA has been a covered benefit through a demonstration program that began in 2014. But the National Academy report, released…
At the end of September, NIH awarded more than $50 million in funding to 13 projects that will examine how genetics and environmental factors determine a person’s risk of developing autism. Those projects, part of NIH’s Autism Data Science Initiative (ADSI), will be housed at universities, including Drexel, Emory, Johns Hopkins, University of North Carolina, and University of California, and hospitals such as Children’s Hospital…
Through the cooperative efforts of a parents group, a developer, and Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS), a one-of-a-kind neuro-inclusive apartment building will open in early 2027, according to an August press release about the groundbreaking. Located in Red Bank, NJ, the three-story, 34,000-square-foot residential building, THRIVE Red Bank, will provide 32 one-bedroom apartments…
A recent analysis of 338,415 health records found that males are being diagnosed with autism earlier in life while the age for females has remained static, and many are not diagnosed until adulthood. In 2024, 44% of boys were diagnosed before age 5 while only 34% of girls were diagnosed before age 5. Epic Research—the…
A clinical report published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in June recommends that pediatricians evaluate children as early as possible for global developmental delays/intellectual disabilities. Genetic disorders account for up to 50% of diagnoses of developmental delays and intellectual disabilities. Diagnosing the causes as early as possible provide multiple benefits, the report’s writers note,…
