The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) necessitates that all school districts in the country make available transition services for individuals with disabilities once they reach age 16. Yet, according to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, research that addresses lifespan issues, including transitions to adulthood, physical and mental health conditions, and community integration, consistently remained the…
As autism research continues to progress and scientists unearth more information about autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the correlation between unhealthy sleeping patterns and ASD grows even more robust. A recent article on Spectrum News described the sleep problems that affect many with autism and the associated consequences according to a study by S.E. Goldman, Ph.D. published…
In an article on the CNN website, Zoe Gross, director of operations at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, notes that “autism is a diverse disability and everyone’s needs are different.” As the article describes, travelers with autism will have different needs and challenges depending on “personality, where they are on the autism spectrum, and how…
Autism is a central focus in two new television series, “The Good Doctor” and “Atypical,” this season. Both are sparking conversations on the importance of representation of people on the autism spectrum in the media. ABC’s “The Good Doctor,” which premiered in late September, centers on Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon who has autism and…
According to “Business Insider,” Exceptional Minds in Sherman Oaks, Calif., is a “vocational school and animation studio that gives people with autism spectrum disorder a chance to learn animation and visual effects and put them to use in big-budget Hollywood films.” It started with a group of parents trying to figure out what would happen…
Two people with longstanding ties to OAR and well known on their own as experts on educating students with autism have co-authored a new book aimed to help school administrators foster a positive learning environment for students with HF-ASD. Diane Adreon, Ed.D., associate director of the University of Miami-Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism &…
“Swim Team,” an award-winning documentary, came out in theaters in New York City, Los Angeles, and select cities around the country in July. The documentary tells the story of Kelvin, Mike, Robert, and their families. The three young men are on the autism spectrum and are part of the same swim team, the Jersey Hammerheads.…
The Alabama Senate has passed a bill (HB284) that will require many insurers to cover applied behavior analysis (ABA), the most common and scientifically supported treatment for autism. Currently, Alabama is one of five states that do not require insurance companies to cover behavioral autism therapy. After a 100-0 vote in favor of the bill…
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…
