Autism Research

Navigate “the system”

One of the greatest challenges for families that have a child with autism is learning what to do to increase independence and quality of life. NextWork staff understand these challenges and strive to connect families with community resources, government benefits, higher education opportunities including trade schools, and personal networks to support individuals and families on the spectrum.

Here are some articles on autism that we find interesting.

http://www.autism.org.uk/about-autism/autism-and-asperger-syndrome-an-introduction/gender-and-autism/women-and-girls-on-the-autism-spectrum.aspx - this article explains that part of the reason boys are more likely to be diagnosed with autism is because women are taught to be social, giving girls more experience at interacting with other kids. Because of this, women tend to be better at masking symptoms.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-child-does-not-have-bipolar-disorder/201205/the-misdiagnosis-bipolar-disorder-in-children - because of the women’s camoflauging of symptoms, they are more likely to be diagnosed as bipolar. Bipolar medication is not something to take lightly due to ‘lithium toxicity' and 'barbiturate poisoning' (put in another article)

http://jerobison.blogspot.com/2013/11/i-resign-my-roles-at-autism-speaks.html - this blog post is by an autistic man that used to be the only autistic on the board of directors for ‘Autism Speaks’ but he quit. Why? Because he was tired of the largest autism advocacy organization calling people with autism “defective or diseased.”

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-05-14/autistic-young-adults-jobs/54954292/1 - One in three young autistic adults has zero paid work experience, even seven years after high school graduation. This is significantly higher than the rate for people with mental disabilities.

http://autism.lovetoknow.com/Self_Injury_and_Autism - it is estimated that 10 to 15 percent of people with autism will display some form of self injurous behavior. It can lead to retinal detachment, broken bones, bleeding, blindness or sometimes death. This article says to keep in mind that self-injury is different than suicidal thoughts.

http://www.hwtears.com/hwt - can help those with autism learn how to write

https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/treatment/applied-behavior-analysis-aba - “In particular, ABA principles and techniques can foster basic skills such as looking, listening and imitating, as well as complex skills such as reading, conversing and understanding another person’s perspective.”

https://www.mathusee.com/ - can help those with autism learn math

http://www.connectingbehavior.com/vb-mapp-overview/ - a specialized test that is used to assess children's abilities without relying on written or spoken communication (unless that is specifically what they are testing for)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regressive_autism - this can explain why some people believe that autism is caused by vaccines. Since doctors and scientists are not able to tell them what specifically caused them to lose their child in a mental way, parents can be eager to find answers. The time vaccines are given are around this time frame, unfortunately.

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2013/09/04/survey-abuse-widespread/18652/ - More than seventy percent of disabled adults state that they have been abused, with 40 percent of those cases consisting of sexual abuse.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/nyregion/13homes.html?_r=0 - even when the abuse was known, the abusers aren’t always arrested or lose their job. Sometimes, the abuser just gets transferred to another facility.

https://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2014/04/09/%E2%80%98affinity-therapy%E2%80%99-autism-author-reflects-growing-interest - this therapy takes the thing the autistic child obsesses over and uses it to teach skills that are lacking in the child.

http://drexel.edu/autismoutcomes/publications-and-reports/publications/National-Autism-Indicators-Report-Developmental-Disability-Services-and-Outcomes-in-Adulthood/#sthash.LgM92Hbg.dpbs This report discusses adult outcomes for individuals with developmental disabilities. The National Autism Indicators Report is a staple among autism researchers. Look in the archives for past reports that are also worth the read.