John Benji Haygood, a 10-year-old boy on the autism spectrum, was arrested in April in Okeechobee County, Florida, for kicking a teacher last November. He was expelled shortly after the original incident took place. His mother, Luanne Haygood, filmed the arrest, which occurred when they returned to the school in the spring for standardized testing.…
On March 31, the United Nations held a special event in observance of World Autism Awareness Day that addressed the importance of ensuring equal rights for people with autism. The fundamental rights to dignity, autonomy, and self-determination were at the forefront of these discussions. In his statement to the international community, Secretary General Antonio Guterres…
Paul Corby, 27, requires a heart transplant for a rare genetic disease. Corby is also on the autism spectrum and has a number of psychological conditions, for which he takes 19 different medications. After applying for the University of Pennsylvania’s transplant program, he was turned down. The program cited “psychiatric issues, autism, the complexity of…
Faced with a lack of independent living options for their adult son with autism, a Dallas couple has embarked on a $12 million housing project to develop 29 Acres, a safe and enriching community for adults on the spectrum. The purpose is to improve quality of life, wellness, community engagement, and future outcomes for adults…
The Senate did not vote on a revised version of “Kevin and Avonte’s Law” before the close of its December session, meaning the bill will not become law. Named after two boys with autism who died after wandering away from a supervised environment, the bill would have expanded a program that funds tracking devices for…
On November 11, 2015, officials from the Greyhound Bus Company at the New York Port Authority reported that a bus of theirs was missing. Thanks to installed GPS devices, it didn’t take long for the police to locate the bus in Brooklyn and apprehend the driver, a man by the name of Darius McCollum. Once…
When most people think of robots, they think of mechanical inventions designed to make everyday tasks easier. Salem University’s School of Education professor Laurie Dickstein-Fischer and her husband, Gregory Fischer, a Worcester Polytechnic Institute robotics engineering professor, had a different idea. In development for more than six years, PABI, or the Penguin for Autism Behavioral…
Toys R Us stores are typically known for their aisles packed with excited noisy children and busy parents. Unfortunately, it is not an environment that welcomes a child with autism who is sensitive to sensory stimulation and chaotic environments, posing a dilemma for busy parents. Toys R Us stores across the United Kingdom came up…
Delaware families and teachers will be especially thankful this holiday season, as the Delaware General Assembly has consigned half a million dollars to pilot a statewide initiative expanding clinical and educational resources for individuals with autism. Last month, Delaware Governor Jack Markell signed into law Senate Bill #93, establishing an Interagency Committee on Autism (ICA)…
The Somerset Hills Learning Institute, a New Jersey non-profit program for students with autism, recently launched its Center for Career Advancement with the aim of helping its adult students transition into potential careers. By hosting the Center on Three Meadows Farm, which the Institute recently purchased, students will have the opportunity to learn job skills…
