U.K. Man Overcomes Asperger’s Reading and Writing Issues to Publish First Novel
Although reading and writing still gave him trouble, Scott was determined to become an author.
Israel Foreign Ministry Hosts Exhibit of Artwork Made by Autistic Adults
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is hosting an art exhibit, entitled “Bridge to the World,” and comprised entirely of artwork made by Israeli adults living on the autistic spectrum.
New Football Helmet May Reduce Concussions
To reduce the number of concussions in football, a startup company is Seattle is developing a new helmet that absorbs shock differently than a traditional football helmet.
Camp Helps Teens With Autism Develop Social Skills
Camp Onward is designed to help teens with Asperger’s syndrome and high-functioning autism develop social skills. According to co-founder Nancy Hagan, “Camp Onward is a chance for teens that have social difficulties to get together, have fun, get outdoors, be around animals, and learn a lot of different life skills.”
British Prime Minister Pledges £1 Billion Toward Mental Health Care
British Prime Minister David Cameron has launched a new £1 billion initiative which is partly designed to help mothers and teenagers suffering from mental health issues, particularly mothers suffering from postpartum depression and teenagers with anorexia, as well as addiction.
The Israeli Army Unit That Recruits Teens With Autism
Many autistic soldiers who would otherwise be exempt from military service in Israel have found a place in Unit 9900, a selective intelligence unit within the Israel Defense Force (IDF) where their heightened perceptual skills are an asset.
How Shark Tank Investor Daymond John’s Dyslexia Helped Shape Him
Many people know Daymond John as one of the savvy business executives who quickly decide whether to invest their own money in business ideas proposed by budding entrepreneurs on the reality TV show Shark Tank. What many people don’t know about his is that he is dyslexic. . .
Quiet Santa Makes Christmas More Manageable for Children with Autism
This year two radio hosts in Utah who have children with autism have created an event called “Quiet Santa” which is intended to give kids with autism or sensory disorders an experience with Santa that isn’t stressful or intimidating.
Photographer Turns Classic Paintings into Photos Featuring Children with Down Syndrome
A popular art exhibition in Albania which features children with Down syndrome replicating poses from famous paintings is evoking powerful emotional responses from its viewers.
Autism cop: Here’s how police should interact with those on the autism spectrum
The “autism cop.” That’s what fellow policemen call Rob Zink, a member of the St. Paul, Minn., police force for 17 years. He is the father of two sons on the spectrum, which gives him unique insight on how cops should interact with people with autism.
British soccer star Wayne Rooney surprises fan with Asperger’s
James King, a 15-year-old British boy who suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, was recently given tickets to attend a Manchester United soccer match through his school, Middleton Technology…
Iowa State students design PTSD-friendly interiors for combat outposts
Students in an Iowa State University graduate studio are bringing interior design to the 21st century combat outpost in an effort to create environments that help alleviate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and support combat soldiers’ mental health.
Tips on Air Travel for Families with Autistic Members
While traveling by plane can provoke anxiety for even seasoned air travelers, for people with autism who are fearful of new things, it can be terrifying.
How one police officer helped a non-verbal young man with Autism
Sometimes frustrations in communicating their thoughts and feelings make kids with autism do things like run away from home. When a 16-year-old boy who has autism and is non-verbal ran away from home this fall for the second time, the responding police officer who helped find him decided to try to prevent it from happening again.
Young girl with Down syndrome to attend modeling convention
It took a lot of effort and a lot of time, but Kennedy Walsh, a young model with Down syndrome, has finally raised enough money to attend a modeling convention in Los Angeles in January.
College football player with Asperger’s did the ‘impossible’
Justin Hansen is a fifth-year defensive lineman for the Colorado State University Rams football team. He has 36 career tackles and hopes to play in the NFL. Doesn’t have to be the active roster, he’ll take the practice squad. Just to prove he can.
Findings may prevent early loss of synapses in Alzheimer’s
By Peter Bochner One of the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease is the loss of synapses — the structures that connect neurons in the brain. Synapses are required for all brain functions, particularly for learning and memory. In Alzheimer’s patients, most of the damage appears to take place in the part of the brain that […]
One blogger’s vote for note-taking by laptop vs. longhand
By Peter Bochner I recently listened to a webinar titled Engaging the Rewired Brain, in which presenter Dr. David A. Sousa discussed how computer technology is affecting the way students learn. As the father of a 14-year-old high school freshman girl whose school provides her with an Apple Macbook, I can verify that the learning […]
Global Brain Health Institute will focus on the worldwide dementia epidemic
By Peter Bochner Global Brain Health Institute will focus on the worldwide dementia epidemic The Global Brain Health Institute has been formed to help developing countries learn more about dementia and cope with the burden it places on patients, families and caregivers. The institute, which will be housed at The University of California San […]
Contrary to Popular Belief, Students’ Attention Spans Are Not Getting Shorter
By Peter Bochner Most people believe that technology is making the attention span of students shorter. But that’s because adults see their own kids bouncing from one thing to another and interpret that as a shorter attention span. Lekár najprv preskúma vašu anamnézu a životný štýl. Podľa Dr. Patela môžu niektoré lieky, ako sú […]
Boston University researching protein to help Alzheimer’s
By Peter Bochner Researchers at the Brain Plasticity & Neuroimaging Lab at Boston University’s College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) are studying a protein that they think might help grow new cells in the brain’s memory center, called the hippocampus. The Fall 2015 issue of the CAS magazine looks at the research into the brain […]
New York City to unveil plan for combating mental health disorders
Plans for a mental health initiative aimed at preventing and treating psychological disorders among New York City’s 8.4 million residents are expected to be released by the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene next month. The plan, known as NYC Thrive, will be released sometime in December. A report released last week ahead of […]
Small business celebrated for defending employee with autism
By Peter Bochner The owner of an Anchorage, Alaska, restaurant is being overwhelmed with congratulatory emails and Facebook messages after she defended her delivery driver, who has autism, from a verbally abusive customer. The driver for the Little Italy Restaurante had inadvertently given the customer the wrong order before realizing his mistake, going back to […]
Production of The Nutcracker meets sensory needs of children with autism
By Peter Bochner Over the past few years, sensory-friendly dance performances that are specifically geared to children and students with autism have started to appear across the U.S. These productions implement environmental and technical changes to the usual production in order to meet the sensory needs of children with autism or autism-related disorders. To Ruth […]
Rutgers announces initiative to launch center to support adults with autism
Rutgers University is launching an initiative to establish a center that will give adults with autism the opportunity to live and work independently within a university setting. Rutgers Center for Adult Autism The Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS) will be located in two buildings on the university’s main campus in New Brunswick, N.J., […]
For one veteran with PTSD, performing stand-up is the pressure valve
Adapted by Peter Bochner When Jeremy Cessna returned home after serving as a U.S. Army specialist with the 501st Infantry Regiment in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010, he was plagued by nightmares. As reported by Jerry Wofford in Tulsa World, Cessna tried getting help for his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but it wasn’t until he […]
“Sesame Street” Joins Growing List of Shows with Autistic Characters
By Peter Bochner Sesame Street has become the latest television show to introduce a character with autism. A muppet character named Julia is now part of Sesame Street Workshop‘s new online initiative, called Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children. The storyline involving Julia, aimed at families with children ages 2 to 5, […]
Student-athletes’ brains should be tested before they suffer a concussion
By Peter Bochner Taking the time to give a student-athlete a quick brain test, known as a baseline test, can help a doctor monitor the consequences of a concussion should they receive one. In a story that appeared in the Oct. 19, 2015 edition of The Chicago Tribune, reporter Alison Bowen writes that the computerized […]
Giving Autistic Kids Superpowers via Google Glass
By Peter Bochner Researchers at the Stanford University are using Google Glass to help autistic children recognize and classify emotions. Google Glass is an optical head-mounted display technology that displays information in a smartphone-like hands-free format. In an article posted today on the TechCrunch website, Nitish Kulkarni describes as part of the Autism Glass Project, […]
Mental Boot Camp May Be Treatment for Concussions
By Peter Bochner A clinic in Provo, Utah, is claiming to have remarkable success in treating people, including some NFL football players, who suffer long-term consequences from concussions. According to a story by John Hollenhorst in the October 12, 2016 edition of The Deseret News, the claims of a breakthrough are still awaiting formal scientific […]
Apple ResearchKit Software Enables New Studies of Autism and Epilepsy
By Peter Bochner Apple ResearchKit, an open source software framework that makes it easy for medical researchers, scientists and developers to create apps that can gather data more frequently and more accurately from iPhone users, is enabling new research studies on autism from Duke University and epilepsy from Johns Hopkins University. Duke University and Duke […]
Anorexics Show Different Brain Activity
By Peter Bochner When choosing foods to eat, anorexia nervosa patients who took part in a recent study showed significantly greater activity in the region of the brain associated with habitual behavior than see in the brains of healthy people. The study, performed by research team assembled from New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, […]
At UCLA, young adults with autism build social skills
By Peter Bochner The Los Angeles Times recently wrote about nine UCLA students, the majority of whom have autism, who graduated from a16-week program designed to help them navigate the treacherous waters of social interaction. According to the story by Amina Khan, the goal of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills […]
