I’ve made no secret of the fact that June has been a busy month for me but, compared to the achievements and announcements of the autistic community as a whole, my Sophie’s choice of ‘do I bring my PlayStation or Nintendo Switch to London’ hardly seems that pressing.

As such, today I wanted to bring everyone up to speed with the important news from June 2018: what happened, where it happened and what it meant for our great community (as always, links to the full stories can be accessed by clicking on the red titles and the bold headings).

Honourable Mentions:

June has once again proved that developments within the autism community can’t be condensed into 5 stories alone, therefore, before we do get into the thick of this month’s news, let’s briefly look back at the additional moments which, for one reason or another, I can’t discuss in-depth today:

Top 5 Autism News for June 2018:

5. Autism Linked to Being a Genius

Starting off this month’s news round-up is the announcement that genetic researchers have given me the opportunity to blow my own trumpet. This comes as a result of recent findings which suggest that many of the genes associated with being intelligent are also found within autistic people.

This discovery, first featured in an article on Nature.com, is called ‘Genome-wide association meta-analysis in 269,867 individuals identifies new genetic and functional links to intelligence’ and if you think that the title is hard to understand then just try to read the report.

Amongst the many correlations which the findings suggest, intelligence has also been linked with many plausible aspects of a human life such as: not smoking and not having any condition which deteriorates the brain. However, the report also mentions a few head scratching factors such as height and skull circumference. So, until further follow-up studies are created, it’s probably best to take these reports with a pinch of salt.

4. The Autism Shows Take Place Around The UK

In association with The National Autistic Society, The Autism Show (or more accurately, The Autism ShowS) are three, cross country, events which bring together some of the finest members of the autistic community to give talks, clinics and workshops on a range of different areas.

Although I was a bit too preoccupied to visit any of the events this year it’s hard to deny that, with appearances from many of the great autistic bloggers, vloggers, actors, activists, researchers and retailers, this year’s event would have been one to remember.

Never fear though as, in place of my inexperience regarding the autism shows, I leave you with a heavy recommendation to check out the latest article, on autism blog ‘An Autistic’s View’.  Here you’ll find author Rob’s personal and insightful account of attending the past 3 events, as well as a touching explanation on how the events have helped him during every stage of his autism journey. (Whilst you’re there, be sure to check out Rob’s many other articles, for fascinating discussions from a late diagnosed autist.)

3. Love Island’s Asperger’s Surprise

(Photo Credit: ITV)

In case you have been living under a rock, Love Island is back. A reality TV programme which can best be described as a show about ‘single people moving to a luxury island, to find love (and fame)’. Like the 2017 series, this year’s contestants have been a mainstay of everyone’s news feed over the last few weeks. However, unlike many of the articles which have been popping up everywhere, this week information dropped which could actually be described as ‘news’:

After leaving many viewers in the dark about the personal reasons behind his departure in week one, former islander Niall Aslam, took to Instagram this month to explain that, during his time on the show, he was struggling with his Asperger’s; a diagnosis he received early in life.

Aslam’s announcement is a great reminder of the diversity of the spectrum as well as some of the invisible obstacles autistic people face. It has been met with applause from the show’s large fan base (as well as many members of the autistic community). Amongst the many inspiring responses which have been made on Aslam’s post, highlights include:

  • ‘Thank you for your bravery. It makes the world my two, gorgeous, autistic children live in that little bit more understanding’
  • ‘It is not easy but you have opened yourself up to the nation and have played an instrumental role in raising awareness of Autism’
  • ‘I LOVE YOU. You are HOT. Get in MY bed!’

2. The ICD-11 is Revealed

Coming in at number 2 this month is the long-awaited publication of the 11th revision of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (or the ICD-11) – a book which is likely to become the right hand man to any therapist, diagnostician, hospital/medical centre worker in the near future.

I have previously discussed how a similar book the DSM-5 is used to diagnose autism in the past. However, as the ICD is created by WHO, expect this to be the more commonly applied reference point going forward (even though the 11th revision will not be a permanent fixture until 2022).

Although, the big headlines regarding the ICD-11 seem to focus on the introduction of gaming as a medically recognised addiction, the stand out points for the autism community appear to be a move that links the ICD to its DSM partner, with regard to autistic classifications. This means that we are once again waving goodbye to Asperger’s as a diagnosis, something which, as a result of the recent findings, makes me want to add ‘good riddance’.

Dishonourable Mention:

The ICD-11 is Reviled

No, you’re not experiencing déjà vu. This month’s dishonourable mention has also been given to ICD-11, for its confusing decision to take an opportunity to progress autism diagnosis and instead waste this moment by outlining autism in an offensive and factually naive way.

I am referring to the ICD’s odd choice to remove any reference to autistic people having sensory difficulties, instead choosing to focus on our ‘restrictive, repetitive and inflexible’ behaviour – something which not every autistic person has.

This decision comes as a massive slap in the face to myself and autism organisations, as bringing awareness of the troubles which autist’s face in crowded and overwhelming situations, is something which has been a top priority in recent years (as evidenced by the National Autistic Society’s, Too Much Information campaign, as well as the Top 5 Tips to avoid Sensory Overloading/Autistic Meltdown post which I uploaded only one week ago).

In truth, I could easily overlook the frustrating fact that autism is still referred to as ‘a disorder’ or that labels such as ‘severe’ are still being used. However, with the total lack of awareness for how autistic people are affected by the condition (not disorder), I can only hope that, like every essay I have ever written, this ‘final draft’ is still subject to multiple rewrites before submission.

1. Autistic Pride Day

On June 18th, Autistic Pride Day took place around the world; an event with a surprisingly long history which, from my experience, was met with two very different reactions:

  1. Autistic people celebrating the positive aspect of a condition which can often be viewed negatively
  2. Autistic People taking to the various social media channels and search engines to ask one question: ‘what is Autistic Pride Day?’

So for anyone who still finds themselves in the dark, let me explain:

Although the day itself has been modelled after ‘Pride Month’, ‘Autistic Pride Day’ is dedicated to teaching people about what our lives are like, as full-time members of the spectrum; encouraging autistic people to celebrate what makes us different.

The day itself hasn’t had a designated theme since 2007, so this year I chose to dedicate my celebrations to praising the many members of our community who have overcome adversity, no matter how big or small. It was a message which, I think, applies to a diverse cross-section of our community and in case you missed it, it is one I want to finish with today:

‘It’s #AutisticPrideDay, a day for shifting attitudes and celebrating our place on the spectrum. Remember to take some time today to admire just how awesome our community is. We’ve all faced hardships and smashed expectations. It’s time to take pride in our achievements!’

Carry on the Conversation:

Are you watching Love Island?  If yes, how do you feel about Niall’s revelation? Let me know in the comments below as I would love to hear how this news has affected people in the community.

As always, I can also be found on Twitter @AutismRevised and via my email: AutisticandUnapologetic@gmail.com.

If you like what you have seen on the site today, then show your support by liking the Autistic & Unapologetic Facebook page. Also, don’t forget to sign up to the Autistic & Unapologetic newsletter (found on the sidebar on laptops and underneath if you are reading this via mobile) where I share weekly updates as well as a fascinating fact I have found throughout the week.

Thank you for reading and I will see you next Saturday for more thoughts from across the spectrum.