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New Biomarker Panel Could Accelerate Autism Diagnoses
About 17 percent of kids with autism identified with metabolic blood test Investigators at the UC Davis MIND Institute and NeuroPointDX, a division of Stemina Biomarker Discovery, have identified a group of blood metabolites that could help detect some children with autism spectrum disorder...
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Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Unique People Services Creating Community Connections
On a sunny day in August, on a typical tree lined suburban street in Queens, NY, a knock opens a neighbor’s door. “Are you coming?” asked a client of Unique People Services (UPS). UPS was holding an open house to introduce the community to their newest neighbors: six women with varying...
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Autism Plus Wandering
When Liane Kupferberg Carter’s son Mickey began “escaping,” as she calls it, around age 2, “he was greased lightning,” she says. “I couldn’t take my eyes off him for an instant or he’d disappear — in malls, supermarkets, or in any public space.” As her son got older, things...
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Two Sides to the Safety Equation: Bridging the Gap Between Police and Individuals with ASD
Given the heightened risk that individuals with autism face when they have contact with the police, this article highlights two valuable safety programs that bridge the gap between police and those with ASD to build mutual understanding and improve outcomes in a police encounter. Media outlets...
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Bullying and Youth with Disabilities and Special Health Needs
Children with disabilities—such as physical, developmental, intellectual, emotional, and sensory disabilities—are at an increased risk of being bullied. Any number of factors— physical vulnerability, social skill challenges, or intolerant environments—may increase the risk. Research...
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A Responsive, New Wave of Real Estate Options for Adults with Autism and for Special Populations
Exciting new models for supportive housing are emerging, changing the landscape and raising the bar on dreams and expectations for the neurodiverse population. Far too many young adults are graduating from high school to the couch. They are socially isolated, unemployed or underemployed, and...
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The Link Between Autism and Suicide Risk
Mr. A, a middle-aged chemist, came to a Baltimore emergency room after a suicide attempt. He said he was “thoroughly depressed.” He had been fired after throwing a chair at his boss, not his first outburst at work. Doctors admitted him to the hospital, where they became suspicious of his...
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Reducing Disparities in Early Identification of ASD
Early identification of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) expedites access to appropriate intervention and leads to improved functional outcomes (Dawson et al., 2010). Yet, despite concerns of possible ASD often noted by 18 months, the median age of diagnosis in the United States continues to hover...
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Adults with Autism Face a Unique Set of Dangers and Hazards
The dangers and hazards of the world that are faced by autistic children and adolescents are very well known, and much has been said and written about them. Adults with autism, however, all too often face a variety of threats not frequently encountered by neurotypicals. I will be discussing these...
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Online Dating and Neurodiversity
Much has been written about the basic safety considerations of online dating, yet little research has been conducted to understand the nuanced difficulties that may be present for individuals on the autism spectrum who date online. A survey by Roth and Gillis (2015) found the most commonly reported...
