In the news.

Jonathan Green is professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom and an honorary consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist. He is also a long-practicing clinician. In this interview, he discusses the genesis of his recent article, “Debate: Neurodiversity, autism and healthcare,” and how it has been received by colleagues and the neurodiversity self-advocate community. There have been two commentaries published in response to Green’s article, with a third still in production.

Pediatric Autism Communication Therapy is currently the only scientifically evidenced early social communication intervention to demonstrate long-term improved child social communication outcomes into middle childhood.

Many parents in our community feel they don’t know the “right” way or time to tell autistic children about their autism. For this reason, we are grateful for a recent study showing that “it is probably best to tell people they are autistic as soon as possible.” We talked with Bella Kofner, an author on the study who is also autistic, about what the study reveals; the personal experience of being told about one’s own autism; why it is crucial for autism research to include autistic direction; and some takeaways for both parents and/or autistic people themselves.

The essence of gifted children is removed when strengths are overlooked to focus on behavior

Being a police officer is a tough gig. You never know what each new day will bring, you’re often under immense pressure and, after all the help you provide to the community, at least once a shift you’re going to be called a waste of tax payer’s money. Yeah, it’s pretty demanding and, for all these reasons and more, it’s certainly not somewhere you would expect to find an autist.

However, in the following interview, which takes place with one of my oldest friends, Ben: an officer with Asperger’s, you’ll find that, yes, there is a place in the forces for someone with autism but, more importantly, you’ll hear how, despite our possible challenges, there should be the opportunity for an autistic presence in every profession.