It has been a bananas month for the world of autism. Full of stories that sound so fake that even a flat-earther would think them farfetched. Nevertheless, what you are about to read is entirely true and, while many of the articles featured venture a bit too close to the world of gossip than I would like, they are no less important for those who want to be in the know with what’s on the spectrum.

Featuring everything from the shocking to the implausible, as well as the more down to earth affairs we usually expect here on Autistic & Unapologetic, these are the headlines from the weird and wacky world of June’s autism news (unlike previous months, while links to the full stories can mostly be accessed by clicking on the red titles and the bold headings, the internal red words is the best way for reaching the exact topic being discussed).

Honourable Mentions

Autistic Julia from Sesame Street Stood with Family

Because I don’t want to blow your mind too quickly, here is a quickfire round of honourable autism news mentions that should warm you up for the oncoming oddball moments of the top 5:

The Top 5 Autism News Pieces for June 2019:

5. Celebrities Gone Wild

Shatner screaming at nothing (again)

In a world where we have such incredible advocates out there mixing up the status quo, it’s a shame that a few bad eggs can cause such a stink that they overshadow an entire month. So, while Katie Price’s son, Harvey, was making waves in Autism’s Got Talent and Carrie Grant began campaigning for better autistic education options, it’s unfortunate that the biggest headlines in the world of celebs came from those who want to harm our community and not help it.

From Jessica Biel’s strange associations with an anti-vax lobby to William Shatner’s all out Twitter rant at the autistic community over ABA, it seems that there wasn’t a corner of glitz and glamour that didn’t lose its sparkle in June.

Suspiciously, while these bizarre occurrences were taking place, model Jenny McCarthy (who has previously pushed and funded a book called ‘How to End the Autism Epidemic’) has been strangely silent – with the site for her ‘autism support’ charity, Generation Rescue, closing down and leaving a note stating ‘stay tuned for what’s next’. Whether this is positive or a negative is still uncertain but I will be sure to update accordingly.

4. The Not-So-Surprising Damage Caused by Functioning Labels

Sticker with disorder written on stuck to a lampost

In an announcement that surely shocked no one, a publication from researchers in Australia last month found that, not only are autistic functioning labels insulting, they are also incorrect and damaging. This comes from a study of over 2000 autistic children, in which those who were deemed ‘high-functioning’ were assessed on what this label meant for their quality of life.

As ‘high-functioning’ is often credited to those with a high-IQ, the assessments criticized how many in the test category suffered, despite showing their smarts on paper; struggling with everyday skills like brushing teeth, planning a journey or even tying their laces (something which, as someone who only learnt to fasten their shoes at 18 – despite working in a shoe shop for many years,  I can relate to).

What’s more troubling is that, as well as having a life full of people turning a blind eye to your challenges, a high-functioning label also means a life of struggling to gain funding or access to support services – not great.

Moving on from this though, I would love to see more research on the impact of a ‘low functioning’ label. However, If we can just end the use of labelling altogether then I will be more than happy to hear nothing more on the subject.

3. A Mixed Month for Autism & Religion

An autistic boy was removed from a church in Cambridge

Maybe it’s because I was raised Catholic and taught that embracing differences is the way forward or maybe it’s because I would rather see this as ‘strange behaviour’ than a ‘sad reality’ but over in the world of religion (a category that I will discuss as though I’m treading on eggshells), it was reported that an autistic boy was evicted from a ceremony in Cambridge’s King’s College Chapel, for causing a disruption.

While the church has since apologised for the incident, claims that the eviction was due to the location being a popular tourist site are still being debated. This event is all too reminiscent of the BFI incident which occurred in April last year and shows that, even in the most accepting of locations, autism understanding can still be severely lacking.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, as in the same month, the Finsbury Park mosque (a location I used to live next to) announced that, in conjunction with the National Autistic Society, the place of prayer is to start an autism hour scheme. This is a brilliant step forward and a great opportunity to adapt the faith’s messages for an autistic audience, spreading consideration and care in a manner that the King’s College Chapel could learn from.

2. Iconic Autism Shows are to Receive U.S. Remakes

The A-Word Cast

In the wake of the smash hit success that was The Good Doctor, it seems that scooping up foreign autism shows and reinterpreting them for a U.S. audience is big business these days – an assumption which comes as a result of recent news that both ‘On the spectrum’ and ‘The A-word’ are to receive American adaptations in the coming months.

For those that don’t know, On the Spectrum was originally an Israeli coming of age comedy/drama that follows three, mid-twenties autists as they deal with life’s biggest challenges, from dating and finding a job to generally surviving in the rollercoaster of a world that often comes with a ‘you must be this neurotypical to cope’ sign.

The A-word, on the other hand, is a show which is unlikely to need any introduction for Brit readers. But, for everyone else, the program can be briefly summed up as ‘the most relatable representation of a family coming to terms with an autism diagnosis – as long as your life is also set to the unrelenting soundtrack of the Arctic Monkey’s first album: Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not.

1. New International Autism Rates

A streetshot of Vietnam

Hot on the heels of previous reports that China’s autism rates have radically increased, in June, 2 new studies from Qatar and Vietnam have shown that, when it comes to rising autism rates, the Western world isn’t alone.

Starting with the Arab country of Qatar, news of an increased autism rate comes our way as a 6-year study (featuring 9074 children) comes to an end. With reports stating that Qatar’s autism rates are currently 1 in 87 (with 1 in 56 boys being autistic and 1 in 230 girls being autistic) many, predictably, have started banging the ‘autism is spreading’ drum. However, these claims are easily refuted as:

  1. They are pretty much in line with most other countries and, if anything, could be considered low compared to recent findings.
  2. The study is the first of its kind in Qatar and therefore we have nothing to compare it to.

Over in Vietnam, however, we received an early taste of a similar ongoing study, which has currently screened 17754 children and found a much lower average of 0.75% of the population being autistic. This does not mean that Vietnamese children are less likely to be autistic though, as this research was gathered using the DSM4, not the DSM5 – which puts it results largely in line with the 1 in 100 which most other cities had during the DSM4’s reign.

Interestingly, Vietnam’s tests have found that autism is much more prevalent in rural areas (for reasons currently unknown). However, as this research is far from complete – citing an end when 42000 children have been tested, there is still ample opportunity to gain an understanding from this particular pattern that has emerged.

Carry on the Conversation

With so many new autism TV show being worked on, I’m certain that everyone has at least one current favourite or one they are very much looking forward to. If so, let me know in the comments below. And, if you want to hear more about The A-Word why not check out my article on 6 Times ‘The A Word’ Was the Most Relatable Show on TV

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

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