Hollywood films such as Rain Man and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape have introduced neurotypical audiences to the complex condition that is autism (with the help on non-autistic actors). But on Autistic Pride Day, those living with it speak for themselves, and celebrate the unique way that autism affects each of them.

When Jeanette Purkis was first diagnosed with autism two decades ago, the condition was stigmatised, and poorly understood. From prison to parenthood, she shares her story of surviving, thriving, and learning to accept herself.

As a child, I was very odd. Everyone would say to my mum, 'What's she doing now?' because I was a very energetic child and I was quite naughty, very determined.

When I went to high school, things got very bad. People hated me. People really bullied me and I was the least popular child.

Ron Fournier is the author of the upcoming Love That Boy: What Two Presidents, Eight Road Trips, and My Son Taught Me About a Parent’s Expectations.

"Love your child for who he is, not who you want him to be”

Moments after my son was diagnosed with autism, my wife confronted me in the doctor’s parking lot. “It’s time to step up,” Lori said. Be a better father. She told me to take a series of road trips with Tyler—to bond with our 12-year-old boy and teach him to navigate a world that isn’t wired like him.

Turns out, Tyler did the teaching.

By Irena Ceranic

Jemma Victoria Lilley, 25, and Trudi Clare Lenon, 42, were charged after police found the body of Aaron Pajich under a freshly laid concrete slab in the backyard of their home on Broughton Way in Orelia.Two women accused of murdering an 18-year-old man in Perth's southern suburbs have appeared in court.

The Perth Magistrates Court was told Mr Pajich, who had Asperger's syndrome, was killed on June 13, the same day he was last seen at a taxi rank at the Rockingham City Shopping Centre.

Lilley and Lenon were not required to enter a plea and have been remanded to face Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court next Wednesday.

One of the accused women had studied with Mr Pajich at an educational facility in Kwinana.

Timna Jacks

By the age of six, Brandon* had been bullied so cruelly in the playground that he told his parents he wanted to die. 

His distraught parents, Travis and Samantha, battled the Education Department for years for support for their traumatised autistic son, and even submitted a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission. But finally, with help from the right school, his parents have turned their son's life around. 

Donna Sharpe

A Maitland mother has gone to the Human Rights Commission claiming her special needs child has been bullied and discriminated against because of a massive gap in the education system between children with and without disabilities.

The mother, Robyn, who requested we only use her first name, said her son, 13, had been the target of discrimination, excluded from school excursions and continually bullied.

Norman Hermant

Parents of disabled people in group homes say they are concerned a culture of covering up serious incidents and avoiding police scrutiny pervades the sector.

CHOP Researchers Find Gaps in Knowledge, Communication about ASD Treatment Choices

Parents of young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may experience significant difficulties in discussing treatment options with the child’s pediatrician, according to new research. Among the barriers are problems with communication, physicians’ lack of knowledge about specific ASD treatments and community resources, and uncertainty about the pediatrician’s role in making treatment recommendations for a child with ASD.

Many parents in the study reported that they did not discuss the choice of any treatment options with their pediatricians, and others said their physicians provided only general recommendations or referrals. The study team suggests that tools such as decision aids and practice guidelines may help foster more effective communication between families and pediatricians.