Developmental Disabilities

What it's like to be a high-functioning woman with autism that goes unnoticed or undiagnosed

<i>This article was co-written by Adeline Lacroix, who works with Fabienne Cazalis and was recently diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. A second year master’s student in psychology, she is working on a scientific literature review about the characteristics of high-functioning autistic women.</i><p>Let’s call …

Girls are better than boys at masking their autism to 'fit in'

There is a long-held myth that autism is a predominantly male phenomenon – that boys are far more genetically or biologically predisposed toward …

Iceland Under Fire Over Controversial Method Of Nearly Eradicating Down Syndrome Births

Iceland seems to be leading the world in the eradication of Down syndrome; on average, only one or two babies suffering from the condition are born …

Teachers: The Top 5 Ways To Keep Special Needs Parents Off Your Back

My home phone rang the other day right before my kids got home from school. For those of you who do not know what I mean by “home phone,” it’s that …

Like The Left, Nazis Support Abortion, Gun Control, Speech Codes

“Godwin’s Law of Nazi Analogies” hold that “as an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler …

Malay, Labrador Retriever mix (2 y/o), Rue Saint-Pierre & Rue Saint-Paul, Montreal, QC, CAN • “He’s a service dog for autism for my son” - “He eats eraser shavings at school.”

Malay, Labrador Retriever mix (2 y/o), Rue Saint-Pierre & Rue Saint-Paul, Montreal, QC, CAN • “He’s a service dog for autism for my son” - “He eats …

Aether the robot a welcome addition to B.C. group home

Aether is capable of speaking, following orders and moving from room to room<p>The staff at the Richmond-based Camsell House group home is getting a …

Daryl Hannah, Dan Akroyd, and 4 Other Celebrities Who've Opened Up About Having Autism

There's been a lot of talk about autism amongst celebrities lately. Several stars have opened up about the challenges of having to raise a child who …

Offer Support, Not Judgment: Autism Meltdowns Are NOT From Lack Of Discipline

“She has a problem with her mother,” you said, dear ex-mother-in-law, as your son and I struggled to safely remove our screaming, kicking autistic …

How a junior footy program is improving the lives of kids with autism

It's a bitterly cold Friday night at Goddard Street Reserve in Tarneit, west of Melbourne, and the kids are playing up.<p>Annabel does not want to …

Elderly parents keep on fighting, this time over plans for state-run care homes

Parents campaign against the state government's plan to "privatise" government-run group homes.

The disturbing, eugenics-like reality unfolding in Iceland

Recently, a CBS news crew traveled to Iceland, producing a report titled “Inside the country where Down syndrome is disappearing.” As much as it sounds like it, the headline is not clickbait or hyperbole: In Iceland, nearly every women who undergoes prenatal testing and whose fetus receives a …

What Adopting My Daughter With Cerebral Palsy Taught Me About Being Strong

One mommy blogger shares her struggles with fertility, the painful loss of family, and what it means to be a mother to a child with special needs.<p>Most people don't know if they can get pregnant until they actually try. I learned that the hard way.<p>When my husband and I started to think about having …

Boy with Down's Syndrome told he couldn't use a trampoline park without a doctor's note

A little boy with Down’s Syndrome was told he wouldn’t be allowed to go trampolining on his birthday because he needed a doctor's note.<p>Jack Jones is …

Anti-Vaxxers Next Victims? Dogs

Rabies is, for all intents and purposes, 100% fatal for humans. And yet fears of autism appear to be behind the latest anti-vaccination craze targeting dogs.<p>America’s anti-vaccination movement might be claiming another victim: dogs.<p>“We see a higher number of clients who don’t want to vaccinate …

Autism expert warns of dangers of creating teenage recluses who play video games

Netflix’s Atypical is a grown-up dramedy about autism

Another week, another launch of a new Netflix series. This weekend, it’s the superhero-posse show <i>The Defenders</i>, a Marvel Comics thing with lame quips and ludicrously staged posterior kicking of no-goodniks.<p>Previous Marvel-inspired series have concentrated on one hero figure, most notably and …

Ex-JBLM soldier raped a 2-year-old child with autism. Now he’s going to prison

A former Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday for videotaping himself raping a 2-year-old child with …

More extremely premmie babies surviving (AAP)

A leading neonatal doctor wants closer monitoring of extremely premature babies beyond the age of two.

This 13-year old boy is the same size as a toddler

A teenage boy has been diagnosed with a condition which means he's the same size as an average toddler.<p>Angus Palmes, who weighs just 2st and 2lbs, …

Autistic Voices, Community Members, And Experts Look Back (And Forward) At Autism Representation On TV

Netflix‘s latest original series, <i>Atypical</i>, tells the story of an autistic 18-year-old named Sam (Keir Gilchrist) and his relationship with his family …

Schizophrenia in children: What you need to know

Childhood schizophrenia is a severe but rare mental illness that causes a child to interpret reality abnormally. Schizophrenia affects behaviors, …

Dr Temple Grandin to speak in Cork as union calls for more special needs investment

The IMPACT trade union says we need better early intervention for children with special needs.<p>The union has invited one of the world's most iconic …

A Momentous Issue

On the homepage, we have a piece by Alexandra DeSanctis about Down syndrome and abortion. I read it with a mixture of admiration and disgust: …

'Atypical,' About a High-Functioning Teen With Autism, Attracts Mixed Reactions

« EPE Announces Journalism Fellowship in Honor of Retiring <i>Education Week</i> Editor | Main<p>| No comments<p>"Atypical," the new Netflix show about a high …

Ending Down Syndrome—The Nazi Way?

Posted: Aug 18, 2017 12:01 AM<p>About a year and a half ago I was at an all-day event with friends that consisted of a lot of sitting around in lawn …

Ravens' Josh Woodrum inspired by brother with Down syndrome

Josh Woodrum, a quarterback cut four times in his 15-month NFL career, quickly has become the biggest surprise of the Baltimore Ravens' preseason.<p>He …

EDITORIAL: Iceland finds a deadly 'cure'

It's not an exaggeration to think that Margaret Sanger, the 20th century eugenicist, or advocate of improving the human population by controlled …

You Really Need Your Village As a Special Needs Parent

The first time I remember it happening to me, I was reading a book by a community pool. My infant twins were blissfully asleep in the shade, and my …

What Netflix’s Autism Comedy Atypical Gets Right About Dating While on the Spectrum

While it has its flaws, <i>Atypical</i> is an important step forward in how TV shows portray autism and dating.Erica Parise/Netflix The autistic community …