As school children across the country hoist their backpacks and return to the classroom, reports about issues in special education are making headlines. Lack of Confidence in Educator Preparation According to 2018 a survey of nearly 1,500 special education teachers from around the country, just 8 percent reported that their general education colleagues were…
In early July, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) officially announced its new offer of $150 million in grants to provide affordable housing to “non-elderly persons” who are living with a disability. A press release issued by HUD cites the number of Americans who will benefit from this opportunity as approximately 18,000,…
Autism is a condition with no medically known cause or cure. This leads some parents of children on the spectrum to search for unconventional methods to alleviate its traits, including most recently the false idea that the digestion of bleach and other harmful chemicals will “heal” autism. According to an NBC article on the topic,…
From May 1 to May 4, 2019, the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting convened in Montreal, Québec with the purpose of supporting aspiring researchers, showcasing autism studies that address the diverse needs of autism, and providing a space for researchers to discuss and collaborate on their research efforts. The four-day conference attracted…
It’s not news to anyone that autism affects more males than females. Except that may not be the latest news. Recent research suggests that the ratio may be three to one, rather than four or five to one. A recent study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and an article published on…
Haley Moss, a Florida native who was first diagnosed with autism at the age of three, has passed the Florida bar exam and become a lawyer at age 24. As an Associated Press article notes, when she was diagnosed, her doctors thought she might never be able to work a minimum wage job or live…
At the beginning of February, two members of Congress introduced the Autism CARES Act of 2019 (HR 1058). The bill would reauthorize federal research; expand funding for critical research, education, housing, and other programs; and ensure that people with autism who age out of critical assistance programs and enter adulthood are supported, according to an…
Two recent incidents at schools in Kentucky have highlighted the importance of educating teachers, administrators, and other school staff about autism spectrum disorder. An elementary school teacher in at Wurtland Elementary School in Greenup County is facing charges of assault after a school surveillance video showed her dragging a nine-year-old student on the autism spectrum…
Two independent studies published in “Pediatrics” and “JAMA Pediatrics” estimate that one in 40 children has autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Both studies drew data from the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health. The studies looked at more than 43,000 children between ages 3 to 17. Survey respondents participated online or by mail, indicating whether a…
According to a 2017 study published in the “American Journal of Public Health,” disparities in both diagnoses of autism and access to quality care continue for racial minorities. For example, Hispanic children are 65 percent less likely and black children 19 percent less likely than white children to be diagnosed with autism, noted an article…
