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New withdrawal-space guidelines for schools aimed at preventing another cage scandal

By bobb |

ACT schools must now follow strict new guidelines on placing students in withdrawal spaces, as part of the government's response to the autism cage scandal.

The guidelines stipulate that withdrawal spaces should not be locked and students must not be prevented from leaving.

But the protocols do include references to the potential use of physical restraint and seclusion under which a student can be confined in a room that they cannot leave. Both are considered one-off options of the last resort.

A Letter To Social Workers From Autistic Mother’s Struggling to Be Heard

By bobb |

Dear Social Worker,

Please understand that when you are dealing with an autistic child you may be communicating with an autistic parent.

When a mother is being misunderstood …

You may interpret her communication as obstructive when she has a social communication disability. She is doing her best. When you are starting to ‘get your back up’ please stop and rethink and rephrase.

Marking Autism Awareness Day, UN officials call for inclusive societies

By bobb |

1 April 2016 – On the eve of the World Autism Awareness Day, United Nations officials highlighted the contributions to humanity by people with autism, noting that shunning them is a “violation of human rights” and a “waste of human potential.”

Addressing a commemorative event this morning, UN General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft stressed that “autism and other forms of disability are part of the human experience that contributes to human diversity.”

Autism’s brain signature lingers even after loss of diagnosis

By bobb |

BY ANN GRISWOLD  /  1 APRIL 2016

Roughly 7 percent of children with autism eventually lose their diagnosis, swapping social problems and language difficulties for more typical skills and behaviors. But it is unclear whether this transition is associated with a return to typical brain function or reflects a compensatory process.

Where the Vocabulary of Autism is Failing

By bobb |

Terms like “low-functioning” are short on nuance and long on stigma.

It’s clear that Alex and John each function well in certain areas of life and struggle in others; each has an idiosyncratic patchwork of skills and challenges. Their stories illustrate a problem that has plagued autism research for decades: What, exactly, do the terms high- and low-functioning mean and to whom do they apply?

CDC estimates 1 in 68 school-aged children have autism; no change from previous estimate

By bobb |

An estimated 1 in 68 (14.6 per 1,000) school-aged children have been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a CDC report published today in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Surveillance Summary. This report shows essentially no change in ASD prevalence, the proportion of school aged-children with ASD, from the previous report released in 2014. However, it is too soon to know whether ASD prevalence in the United States might be starting to stabilize. CDC will continue tracking ASD prevalence to better understand changes over time.

Dodgy report clears Victoria's schools to cage special needs students

By bobb |

Dear colleague

The attached document has taken half a day to prepare but only scratches the surface of this appalling corrupt investigation into Bendigo SDS.

If you have Facebook pages that parents of children attending Bendigo SDS may access, please post this. It is important that they have an understanding that the recent letter they received from the Department of Education is misleading.

Autism biobank could lead to early detection of disorder, researchers say

By bobb |

Australia's first autism biobank will open in Brisbane on Monday, paving the way for what researchers hope will lead to an earlier and more accurate diagnosis of the disorder.

Nearly 5,000 samples of blood, hair and urine, taken from autistic children, their parents and a control group, will be stored in freezers and could one day deliver the answers to what causes the condition.

Autism Queensland said parents typically raised concerns when their child was 12 months old, however in general they did not get diagnosed until at least two years later.

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