Canada

Rebecca Horne

Visual aids and other strategies make it possible to interview young autistic people with intellectual disability or other communication challenges and to draw out valuable responses for research purposes, researchers at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, reported in May. The team piloted their flexible interviewing protocol, called Autism Voices, with 33 participants pulled from the longitudinal Pathways in ASD study.

Read more about Novel protocol captures autism voices across the spectrum

Shaun Heasley

The vast majority of children with autism have at least one mental health condition too, new research suggests.

Almost 78% of kids on the spectrum are diagnosed with some type of mental health condition and almost half have two or more. Even among preschool-age children with autism, 44.8% have such conditions.

By contrast, just 14.1% of young people without autism have mental health conditions.

Read more about Mental Health Issues Affect 3 In 4 Kids With Autism

Around the world, the number of people diagnosed with autism is rising. In the United States, the prevalence of the disorder has grown from 0.05% in 1966 to more than 2% today. In Quebec, the reported prevalence is close to 2% and according to a paper issued by the province's public health department, the prevalence in Montérégie has increased by 24% annually since 2000.

Read more about Is it autism? The line is getting increasingly blurry

Adam McCrimmon, University of Calgary

I often get asked “Does my child have Asperger’s?” in my clinical work. Or, “Do I have Asperger’s?”

These are challenging questions to answer. They have stimulated much debate among clinicians, researchers, and those who have identify with the term over the past several years.

Read more about What happened to Asperger’s syndrome?

Prime minister holds town hall meeting with residents in Lower Sackville, N.S.

A Nova Scotia activist and mother of a nine-year-old boy with severe autism asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about his government's stance on setting up a national autism strategy during his town hall meeting in Lower Sackville, N.S., Tuesday evening.

Read more about Mother tells Trudeau autism care is a 'human rights issue'

Raising a child is often one of the most challenging and joyous events in a person’s life. Watching your child grow and develop is a source of delight. However, some parents become concerned when their child appears to develop differently than others.

At times, parents may worry about the possibility of autism spectrum disorder, or ASD.

Read more about Does my child have autism or is this ‘normal’ behaviour?

Nick Boisvert

Ontario-wide study also found that people with autism are more likely to interact with police

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder are more likely to have adverse, agitating interactions with police, according to a new study released by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

In an 18-month study involving 284 young people and adults with autism in Ontario, 16 per cent reported having an interaction with police — a number far higher than the general population, according to researchers.

Read more about Police officers agitate people with autism, worsen situation in a third of encounters, study finds

Between five and 10 per cent of students have learning disabilities, Young says

Ryan Cooke

Teachers in Newfoundland and Labrador need more preparatory time and more training for inclusive education to work, says an expert in the field.

Gabrielle Young, a Memorial University assistant professor with a focus on special education, told CBC the province's inclusion model is rooted in good intentions, but needs better implementation.