Tag: Autism

In2021, the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge announced Spectrum 10K, a plan to collect and analyze the genomes of 10,000 autistic people. The stated aim was to understand diversity among autistic people, including why some have conditions like epilepsy and ADHD, and to develop m...

The late-diagnosed autistic unmasking process can leave one naked, exposed, and astounded. You ask yourself, how did my brain hide this from me? How did I not see all of this? It’s so obvious. These days for good or bad, I am very exposed. It’s freeing sometimes and scary other times,...

Autism is largely genetic. We’ve known this for a while now. The percentage of how many people have inherited their autism is debatable but generally, the numbers currently top out at around 80 to 90 percent. Interestingly, autism could be entirely genetic; we just don’t know right no...

For families like mine, the quest for a home becomes a journey laden with unique challenges. We navigate the real estate market with a compass set not only to aesthetic appeal but to a more profound, more essential need. We are searching for spaces attuned to sensory sensitivities that prioritize co...

Mydaughter, a bundle of joy wrapped in mystery, had just been diagnosed with autism. Her giggles, though silent, could light up the Miami sky. My wife, with her heart of gold, stood by my side. Our little boy, with dreams as big as the ocean, was eager to play with his sister. As a dad, I felt li...

A lot of masked Autistics have imposter syndrome about their disability — they think that because they’ve managed to cope thus far with persistent sensory agitation, social confusion, ostracism, and difficulty following vague instructions, that they must not be “disabled enough&rdq...

For autistic adults, trying to secure support services can feel like navigating a maze filled with dead ends. The Autism Act 2009 was a beacon of light, promising a national strategy to guide local authorities in providing care. But over a decade later, families still find themselves lost, repeatedl...

I was a child in the 90’s, during the Asperger’s diagnosis boom. More and more kids were being identified as on the Autism spectrum. The checklists were getting to be well-known and more widely utilized, leading to more identification of something that had always been there. Some pe...

If you search up charities for autism, Autism Speaks will probably be at the top of the list. If you use Instagram’s donation feature to fundraise for a charity, Autism Speaks is one of the first “popular charities” to pop up. Thousands of well-meaning people who wish to support th...

Diagnosis is still completely based on observable behavior, which makes it more of a narrative process than a biological one. You don’t get diagnosed with a brain scan or a blood test — it depends what you tell the doctor about yourself or your child, and what they see in the stories you...

Airports, security checkpoints, and the overall travel experience can be overwhelming for individuals with exceptionalities such as autism. However, navigating these challenges becomes more manageable with the proper support and understanding. For example, the Disability Passenger Needs Assessment (...

The Autism Mom is an infamous villain in the autistic community. We love to make fun of her, to write angry think pieces about her, to fight her on Twitter. We are outraged that she wants to cure or fix her children, that she supports Autism Speaks, that she blames autism on vaccines and tells us...

When my kids were diagnosed many years ago, I went into this new world of autism somewhat naive. I was unprepared. All I would have to say is autism, and everyone would understand, but the world isn’t like that. Like with everything else, people have their stereotypes and preconceived notio...

Although some researchers think that the two conditions represent different developmental manifestations of the same underlying biologic causes, most of the field sees them as two distinct conditions, and have written the diagnostic definitions to reflect that. We diagnose individuals with ADHD w...

I only officially learned I had Asperger’s several months ago, but I came to realize I was on the spectrum several years ago as I was researching my son’s autism. As I shared what I learned, my wife and brother both kept asking me if I was perhaps autistic. Since autism is associated wit...

I was always viewed as a fussy eater as a young child. Both at home and at school, I drove people mad with my preferences and the volume of foods which I just refused to eat. Schools tried different approaches to this but were generally unsympathetic. I remember having to take my plate to teacher...

It was May 2013. Vivaan was 4 years old. I had just transitioned from my role as Managing Director of SAP Labs to Head of Globalization Services in Bengaluru. The press release that I had drafted for SAPPHIRE about the “Autism at Work” program had gone viral. SAP’s announ...