No one is saying that January was a rotten start to the year but, between the coronavirus epidemic, Australian bush fires and the brief scare of World War III, no one is saying it was the best opener either. Fortunately for us, this wasn’t (entirely) the case in the autism community where, though an ocean of doom and gloom, glimmers of potential and hope persist.

So, with the aim of educating, entertaining and bringing a much-needed distraction to the international ‘oof’ moments (which seem to never stop), here are 5 highlights from the autism community which occurred over the last 31 days. As always, links to the full stories can be accessed by clicking on the red titles and the bold headings.

Honourable Mentions:

The legend that is Andrew Yang

Sometimes news happens, I have nothing else to contribute. Sometimes news happens where there is simply nothing more to say. Regardless of whether an autism item is one or the other, these pieces will always find a home for themselves in the autism honourable mentions:

The Top 5 Autism News Pieces for January 2020:

5. New Pill Praised as Revolutionary Autism Treatment

A bottle of autism water pills

Ah, another month another new announcement of an autism alleviating ‘breakthrough’ and this time the Emperor’s new clothes comes in the form of an easy digestible, called bumetanide – a pill which benefits patients by ‘decreases in repetitive behaviour’ and ‘reduced interest in objects’ (because who doesn’t want to take the interest out of their child?).

Nicknamed the ‘water pill’ because it makes you pee more (The Sun’s words not mine), bumetanide’s results come our way as a result of British and Chinese Research teams who, over the last 3 months, have tested 83 infants on the spectrum. Among the results mentioned previously, bumetanide is also reported to help toddlers with eye contact, so long as two 0.5mg doses of the drug are taken every day.

Now, if you think you might have noticed a little cynicism in my tone, please know that this isn’t because I doubt the results of the pill (in fact they are almost certainly correct). It’s just that, while I am grateful investments are being made into supporting autistic people, it seems that these praised pills are stripping away personality traits and not anything truly harmful.

Of course, due to the small sample size, it’s unlikely that these pills will be going mainstream any time soon (so there’s no need to get my knickers in a twist just yet). However, the new pieces surrounding this month’s finding have sadly reminded me how many are still unable to separate the good from the bad of autism (choosing to erase autistic life instead of supporting it).

4. Stages – A Video Game Musical

A neon arcade cabinet

Since it’s announcement early last month, I think I’ve read the synopsis of Stage – A Video Game Musical, approximately 100 times – and I’m STILL confused as to what I can expect when it releases in March.

Starring Aiden, a 16-year-old an autistic boy who is obsessed with videogames, the West End Show is purported to be an interactive experience where the audiences are given control of the character and his family, whilst the leads investigate some kind of glitch in Aiden’s game.

Whether this premise will be realised in a panto-shout-at-the-stage kind of style or more a choose your own adventure, similar to Netflix’s Bandersnatch, I am unable to say at this time. However, from what I have read so far, it certainly seems a far cry from recent autism stage portrayals (which were much less favourable) and, regardless of the outcome, it’s safe to say that I will be in the audience, guiding Aiden, when the show is performed.

3. Study Finds Thin Evidence for Early Autism Therapies

A baby playing with a glockenspiel

Another unnecessary hoopla, which took place in January, surrounded the release of a report which stated that many of the popular early autism intervention treatments (which have become standard practice) often lack evidence of success and, of those that do, the research is not particularly overwhelming either. 

Of course, due to my pet peeve (people reading a title and ignoring the entire document), many saw this as a proclamation that all autism strategies had suddenly gone the way of the dodo. Yet, for those who read on, it was clear that past techniques aren’t now akin to witchcraft, it’s just that most research into autism therapies have been left on a ‘to be continued’ which were never resolved.

To me, this highlights two interesting things which were previously unknown when it came to autism therapies/treatments:

  • Demand for more autism support options is often outweighed by the need for support and rigorous testing
  • Many of the autism therapies and treatments which we use are successful, but we don’t know why.

2. DARE to Think Different

Autistica DARE logo

On the 28th of this month, I attended Autistica’s DARE to think different event, an evening which was aimed at encouraging employers to see the benefits of hiring staff on the spectrum. The inspiring night was packed with diverse panel discussions, a jaw-dropping performance by the visually impaired, autistic, pianist Derek Paravicini, along with an inspiring speech from Lord Karan Bilimoria. But, for me, the real high point was the publication of a new report into autistic people in the workplace.

In the report, along with speaking to autistic people ourselves, Autistica spoke with business who employ autistic people. What they found was that that adjustments need to be put in place for autistic people to reach our  full potential, while ensuring these adjustments can be sustainable in supporting an autistic workforce moving forward.

While the report (which I am unable to share exact details of at the time) focuses a lot more on the benefits these adjustments make to the employee over the employer, the night itself was very much geared towards the advantages of hiring autistic people e.g. our community’s ability to resist standard thought process (known as normative thinking) leading to creative problem solving and out-of-the-box ideas.

The whole night was incredible to be part of and I am extremely grateful to have been invited. But, it will only have been worthwhile if the organisations in the room act on what they heard. So, if you are a business able to employ any of the 84% of autistic people currently unemployed, then make sure to keep your eyes out for the report, when it is made public, and use it to make a difference in whatever way you can.

1. Autistic Women & Motherhood

Autistic woman holding a baby

Motherhood in the autism community is such an under-researched topic, that when I first saw that Simon Baron-Cohen had contributed to an article on it, in early January, I had to consider whether or not it was the first of it’s kind – it wasn’t, but that doesn’t make it any less fascinating to unpack.

For example, amongst the many findings within the Cambridge report, researchers found that, when a mother is on the spectrum, that parent can be more likely to experience additional psychiatric conditions, including pre and post-partum depression, whilst additionally being challenged by greater difficulty in areas such as multi-tasking and coping with domestic responsibilities.

Nevertheless, autistic mothers were found to be some of the most resilient out there, with a whopping 96% prioritizing a child’s needs over their own and, while challenges in their social ability caused problems in creating social opportunities for their child, a staggering 76% soldiered on regardless.

The most interesting/worrying research presented in the journal was that, like any parent, many autistic mothers are constantly on the lookout for improvement, but the stigma from their condition has resulted in fear that they will be judged for reaching out. From this, it is clear that new parent services need to be more inclusive of neurological mindsets. However, it also shows that, despite a challenging landscape, autistic parents are still out there proving naysayers wrong and doing a bang up job while they’re at it.

Carry on the Conversation:

What’s your opinion on a videogame musical staring an autstic lead? Let me know in the comments below. And, if you would like to hear more about autism and job opportunties, then check out this article I wrote on Solving the Autism Employment Gap.

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 week for more thoughts from across the spectrum.