As summer comes to a close, the autism community has come out swinging. We’ve landed front page recognition, began travels across vast oceans, helped to organise climate change rallies around the world – and that’s just the work of only one of our community’s members: Greta Thunberg!

So, before the hot months do end and I can finally return to sleeping with a duvet over me (instead of blankets of sweat), here are the numerous autism headlines which you should be aware of for August 2019. (As always, links to the full stories can be accessed by clicking on the red titles and the bold headings.).

Honourable Mentions

Icon for aumi a new autism app

Like I said, it’s been a busy month for the autism community. As such, there were far too many items and far too few spaces to discuss every autism news article today. But this doesn’t mean you should limit yourself to just 5. So, before we dive into the meat of this month, I highly recommend checking out this list of honourable mentions (which is undoubtably the largest to date!).

The Top 5 Autism News Pieces for August 2019:

5. Ending the Unethical Detainment of Autistic People

National Autistic Society outside 10 Downing Street

This month, a collaboration between the National Autistic Society and the autism advocate: Alexis Quinn, saw an over 200,000 strong petition hand-delivered to 10 Downing Street. In the petition, campaigners outlined their demand to see a decrease in the number of autistic people inappropriately detained in mental health hospitals.

According to the National Autistic Society, this whole debacle is largely due to the Mental Health Act of 1983, in which autism is outlined as a mental disorder. As such, this means that many who go without home support for autistic people run the risk of seeing their most vulnerable family members institutionalised – a costly solution which in many cases does more damage than good.

Although you would think that the previous promises from the British Government to combat this would be the last we heard of these unethical detainments, recent reports suggest that the number of autistic people being locked away from their loved ones is on the up; prompting this month’s appeal and unquestionably further action until this is resolved.

4. Village Idiot Promises to Tackle the Anti-Vax Movement (I promise this is the last UK based News)

The Houses of Parliament

British Prime Minister: Boris Johnson, is a controversial figure, no one is going to deny that. BUT, to give credit where credit is due, this August Johnson took an uncharacteristically positive stance and committed to tackling the growing anti-vax movement – a current stain on our community, which has gained traction due to false connotations between autism and the immunisation process.

This news comes after the U.K. officially lost its measles-free status from the World Health Organisation (during the first quarter of 2019), an embarrassing blow for our country which has caused Johnson to respond with pledges that he is ‘determined’ to step up to the challenge at hand.

However, while any support Johnson can give into combating the misinformation should be well received, it bears remembering that the PM has a history of playing fast and loose with the truth. So, I would set your expectations alongside the chances of ever seeing Johnson’s Brexit’ bus pledges come into fruition.

3. What’s the Difference between Autistic Females and Autistic Males? 

Man and Woman striking a pose side by side

While many sources put the autism female to male ratio at 1:3, it’s likely that due to non-versatile tests, and lack of knowledge on female autism, are current estimates are far off the mark. In recognition of this, this month The University of Virginia’s School of Medicine announced plans to pioneer research in understanding autism gender differences, and I for one say, ‘it’s about time!’

In the report which comes from the university itself, the team working on this discovery hopes to find results by using a range of leading tactics including:

  • Monitoring brain developments across both genders on the spectrum
  • Gene sequencing to link gene variation in people with autism
  • Gathering findings on adolescent outcomes in autistic people
  • Collaborating with autistic people ourselves to collect first-hand experiences of how the gender differences have impacted our lives

With evidence such as the previously reported autism gender suicide rates so far apart, the difference between knowing and not knowing why there are so many more autistic males than females is anything but ‘ignorance is bliss’. As such, I recommend that everyone keep an eye out for any further information which comes from this study (and I will update accordingly).

2. Julia Falls from Grace

Julia the muppet hanging her head in shame

Oh Julia, when you appeared on Sesame Street not five years ago, you were a beacon of hope; teaching children to understand autism, whilst scientifically proving adults to accept the condition and welcome it into their lives. Yet now, in the advent of your new autism PSAs, it has come to pass that you flew far too close to the sun.

This tragic tale can be traced back to Sesame Street’s partnership with Autism Speaks in 2018 (because of course they would be pulling the strings), in which a collaboration between the two has seen Julia become the face of the charity’s 100-day kit: a scheme designed to help strengthen families with autistic members by encouraging parents to:

  • Blame any marital problems on the stress autistic children cause
  • Spend time with non-autistic siblings to remind yourself of when things were better
  • Teach an autistic child to hide their traits (in the name of ‘family happiness’)
  • Other ideas which make Cruella de vil seem like a harmless puppy

Unsurprisingly, this has led many in the community including the Autism Self-Advocacy Network to cut ties with the street in its 49th season, leaving many wondering: will Julia be able to redeem herself or is it time for our community to adopt a new muppet? Perhaps the obsessive Count von Count, or the easily overwhelmed (and slightly racially insensitive) Swedish Chef?

1. Is Autism Overdiagnosed?

Woman looking at stats going up

In somewhat of a global game of ping pong, this month researchers from Denmark and Quebec published findings suggesting that, due to constantly shifting criteria, we are reaching a breaking point in which within 10 years an autism diagnosis could mean nothing.

This quickly made global headlines, sending many in and out of the community into such a fray that charities including the N.A.S. had to publish statements calming the outcry. However, after reading the original report, I can’t help but think one thing: ‘aren’t we being a little over dramatic?’

I say this because when we think of autism as being overdiagnosed, we quickly jump to the conclusion that this means many have been misdiagnosed – which simply isn’t true. Instead, the reality is that due to widening criteria, the single label of autism has been stretched so far that the condition’s name itself isn’t very descriptive of what someone will be like (which is actually very true).

But is this as big a problem as it has been made out to be? Of course not, as widening parameters mean many will have better access to the valuable support that they might once not have. This doesn’t mean we should ignore the researcher’s original claims though (and, yes, only one researcher actually used the word ‘overdiagnosed’). Instead, it is just another point against the recent move from autism categories to autism levels – a move which was far from flawless to begin with.

Carry on the Conversation

Do you think autism is overdiagnosed? Who do you think could replace Julia? Let me know in the comments below. And, if you would like to hear more on our current knowledge of the difference between autistic females and males then check out my article on: Why are there less Autistic Females than Autistic Males?

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.