Imagine we lived in a universe where there were no circles; the letter O was a triangle, every pizza was the kind of gross rectangle usually reserved for punishing school children and that viral Facebook video of the turtle with a prosthetic stabilizer, instead featured the same reptile but with a big chunk of square wood at its hind.
Got it? Okay, so that turtle you have just conjured in your cranium, well he/she is the most accurate representation I can find to explain just how slow time felt waiting for any autism news to drop this month… yeah, it’s been that slow!
Nevertheless, to break a routine would inevitably mean unnecessary anxiety for me and so, today, I bring you the top/only autism news of September 2019 (As always, links to the full stories can be accessed by clicking on the red titles and the bold headings).
Honourable Mentions
Alas, while I could only find 3 pieces of really good news to talk about this month, that doesn’t mean we are without an honourable mention or two. So, in case anyone was wondering whether they should smoke while pregnant or how autism friendly a live showing of Strictly Come Dancing could be, behold, your answers are here:
- Researchers in Denmark find no link between smoking during pregnancy and autism (although doing so is still INCREDIBLY dangerous)
- The National Autistic Society partners with Strictly Come Dancing Live
The Top Autism News Pieces for September 2019:
3. Exceptional Minds team up with Cartoon Network
It’s always a pleasant surprise when something from my childhood pops back onto my radar and, in the case of this month’s collaboration between Cartoon Network and Exceptional Minds, this ‘pleasant surprise’ turned out to be a gift that will keep on giving.
Yes, this is the news that, in a bid to widen the horizons of Exceptional Minds‘ young autistic students, the training academy/studio that train autists in animation, post production and visual effects, will be working with many of Cartoon Network’s most talented, to develop a 3-month mentoring programme.
This isn’t the first time Exceptional Minds have partnered with such a grandiose studio though, with previous examples including the likes of Nickelodeon and even Disney. However, I wanted to promote and praise this announcement in particular as:
- Exceptional Minds are long overdue some love on this site
- In the event that anyone who is reading this is set to take part on the mentor program, I wanted to include a desperate plea for you to do all you can to get Cartoon Network to bring back Courage the Cowardly Dog!
2. A Final Nail in the ‘Extreme Male Brain Theory’ Coffin
From Exceptional Minds to Extreme Brains, September’s second biggest autism news moment comes in the wake of a 643-participant study, which produced results that:
‘unequivocally show that there is not a linear causal relation between testosterone exposure and cognitive empathy.’
This is potentially a huge shake up in the world of autism academia as it directly contrasts the ever-popular Extreme Male Brain theory: a belief that one reason for the autism gender imbalance could be that the condition is caused by high levels of fetal testosterone in the womb.
With that said, this is FAR from the first time the theory has been under scrutiny as, over the decades, it has been criticized for everything from a lack of evidence to being non-inclusive of females. However, this time round, the findings from the study quoted as being ‘the biggest of its kind’, are not so easy to shake off. This begs the question: is it time to ditch the Extreme Male Brain theory once and for all?
1. A Decade of the Autism Act is ‘Not Enough’
After months of interviews, discussions and other research, this month The National Autistic Society launched their new campaign: Not Enough; An extremely well titled call-to-action, put forward after the inquiry into the UK’s Autism Act uncovered that there is still not enough understanding, not enough services and not enough progress for autistic people.
However, this was not meant to be the case when the Autism Act was first introduced 10 years ago as, according to the policy, the last decade should have seen a dramatic improvement in autism diagnosis waiting times, help for adults on the spectrum and better all-around understanding. Sadly though, this has not been the case, prompting the N.A.S. and the autism community itself to make our disapproval heard.
This could be achieved by contacting your local MP and inviting them to a future autism hearing. However, given that the last decade can be characterized by a lack of urgency from many of the MPs, I expect that this tactic of gaining awareness will only be the first and, as such, September will likely be the last quiet month from our community until we see a change.
Carry on the Conversation:
Am I alone in thinking that September was our slowest month to date or did I miss something that should have been included here? Let me know in the comments below. And, if you are looking for a good book to help pass the time whilst we wait for things to get exciting again, why not check out the premier novel by autistic writer Chris Bonnello: Underdogs.
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.
