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Autism Speaks Names 2017 Weatherstone Predoctoral Fellows… career scientists pursuing autism research. Lady Weatherstone and daughter Cheryl Weatherstone-Vance continue to actively support this fellowship program on a personal level.  The 2017 class brings the number of Autism Speaks Weatherstone … and daily living among adolescents affected by autism. Her goal is to guide the development of more-effective programs for supporting a successful transition to adulthood. Read more about Maya Reiter's research project here . Evan Geller Under the … understanding and treatment of anxiety, depression and other mental health problems that commonly occur in this vulnerable group. Read more about Jessica Greenlee's research project here . Elyza Kelly Under the mentorship of Peter Tsai at …
CDC estimate on autism prevalence increases by nearly 10 percent, to 1 in 54 children in the U.S. … a gap remains in prevalence among Hispanic children, indicating a need to expand screening and intervention among this group. Further, black and Hispanic children identified with autism received evaluations at older ages than similar white … guidance of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), and to advance policies that better provide services and supports for early intervention, education, transition to adulthood, employment and community living.   The CDC report was … of people with autism. To join the conversation, find @autismspeaks on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. For personalized support and questions, contact the Autism Response Team at 1-888-AUTISM2, en Español at 1-888-772-9050 or by email at  …
Bullying and Mainstreaming in the Schools… these striking results may be that children with ASDs mainstreamed in schools are not being fully integrated into the peer group and remain isolated even in a classroom full of other children.  It would be a mistake to undermine efforts to … setting. Rather, parents and educators need to ensure that children who are placed in inclusive classrooms have sufficient support to thrive and are protected from bullying. A child’s Individualized Education Program is a natural place to set …
Pool and Water Safety for Lifeguards … way of communicating, that can help keep them calm them in an unsafe situation or if they have wandered away from their group. This  first-responder toolkit  has communication techniques in addition to a lot of other useful information for … the pool or have other communication differences, so they may not hear the whistle.   Swimming facility owners can support autistic swimmers as well by communicating safety rules in different ways to ensure understanding, … are visual learners understand the rules.   Teaching their lifeguarding and other staff about supporting an autism-friendly swimming experience can help make sure their pool is a safe and comfortable environment for …
Supplements for kids with autism may lead to nutrient imbalances… and vitamin D. The study appears this week in  the  Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics .  The research was supported through the ATN’s role as the federally funded Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P). … and were taking supplements were still not getting enough calcium. Around a third were not getting enough vitamin D. As a group, the children on a gluten-free/casein-free diet got more magnesium and vitamin E than the other children did. This may … of bone fractures seen in children with autism. “Many children and families affected by autism can greatly benefit from the support of nutritionists and feeding specialists to ensure both immediate and long-term health,” Dr. Wang concludes. The 14 …
The Importance of Self-Advocacy in the Transition Process… to any fault of their own, but only because their brains work differently. It may be helpful for the individual to join a support or social skills group for those with similar abilities. You may be able to find groups in your area in the Autism Speaks Resource Guide. How Do We Teach Self-Advocacy Skills? Self-advocacy should be …
Small study finds B12 injections ease autism symptoms in some children… in some children who have the disorder. The researchers found that the behavior improvement occurred primarily in a subgroup of children who showed particular blood chemistry changes after the methyl B12 injections . In these children, the … time. Some earlier research has suggested that the process is impaired in some people with autism . The new study, supported by a grant from Autism Speaks , appears online in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology . It is … metabolic abnormality – impaired methylation capacity – holds the potential to improve [autism] symptoms.” They call for support of a larger controlled trial to check and clarify their results. For related news and blog posts, also see: Grandma …
Teamwork and time management: Lessons from Autism Speaks intern, Binh… involved data entry and analysis and database management, which I liked. I mostly worked for the Science and Services and Supports group. Much of my work was around the function of the Autism Speaks website. There are a lot of URLS and I could see how the …
Meet Helen P.… expressions often left her feeling like an outsider. But when her family moved to North Haven, Connecticut, she met a group of friends who encouraged her to embrace the unique traits that make her who she is. It was at that point when … was right! I hope one day my work can inspire others to chase their dreams too. How important has it been to have a strong support system of family and friends in your life? My family is very supportive of my dreams of becoming a wildlife photographer for National Geographic and whatever else I want to pursue. …
Youth with autism gain, keep jobs after employer-based skills program… and $10.66 an hour. A year after graduation, 87 percent of the participants still had their jobs. Meanwhile, a control group of young people with autism who did not take part in the job skills program saw only 6 percent employed three months … school (greater than 75 percent), receive a combination of nine months of immersion in a business setting internship, plus supports such as applied behavior analysis, that their chances for becoming competitively employed are much better than … encouraging.” The study, “ Effects of an employer-based intervention on employment outcomes for youth with significant support needs due to autism ,” was published in the April 1 edition of the journal  Autism . Wehman, a professor in the  …