What I’ve been reading — June 2015

Walking in the rain

Opinions and Insights

Why Do Friendships Fade for So Many Autism Spectrum Parents? This one really hit home. Read more

Father’s Days. A cartoonist’s journey into first-time (and special needs) fatherhood. Beautiful. Watch it

Parents New to Autism: Don't Fall for Pseudoscience like DAN! or MAPS. The title says it all. Read more

Questions for Ari Ne'eman: Partnering with participants "We have an opportunity to re-envision the quality of our autism conversation. It’s a chance for us to build a more inclusive vision, one that acknowledges that autistic children will grow into autistic adults. If we do our jobs right, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing." Read more

We Are All Part of One Spectrum. (HT to Emily Brooks.) "...if the Autism Rights Movement’s history will be told as a successful one, it will be because all voices were heard, including mine, including the voices of the ones you don’t believe have a lot to say." Read more

Science

Large Swedish study casts doubt on autism 'epidemic' "'The authors present probably the best data available on whether [autism] symptoms have increased over time,' says David Mandell, associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania, who was not involved in the study. 'Their findings suggest that they have not.'” Read more

Body clock genes may set pace for sleep issues in autism. "People with autism are twice as likely to carry alterations in genes that regulate the circadian clock, or the body’s sleep-wake cycle, as those without the disorder. The findings, published 6 May in Brain and Development, may help to explain why most children with autism have troubled sleep." Read more

News

When 2 Teens Found a Friendship No One Believed They Could Have "I don’t care that’s its taken 17 years for Kreed to find a friend because this friendship was worth the wait." Inspiring. Read more

Daniel Smith, proprietor of an MMS company, convicted " If this weren’t being used on disabled children, I would consider hiding behind a church ( a fake church in my opinion) as being reprehensible. But that act pales in comparison to the harm caused to individuals." Read more

Young man with autism is now a world renowned artist Read more

Who Decides Where Autistic Adults Live? Sometimes the best of intentions can lead to disastrous results. Read more