2020 has taught me two important lessons: firstly, it’s that, when you say ‘Could things get any worse?’, there is always a demon lying in wait to give you the answer, and secondly, until we leave this toilet bowl of a year, autism news will remain on a seesaw; too much of it and it’s usually for a bad reason or there’s been none at all.
However, until we do reach that holy grail of December 31st (where angels sing, famine ends and the Almighty himself gives us all a high-5 for being good sports), it seems we have no other option than to just plod along and hope for the best. So, with all fingers and toes crossed that the middle point of the year is a sign that we’re on the upward swing, let’s crack on with this month’s autism news roundup.
(As always, links to the full stories can be accessed by clicking on the red titles and the bold headings.)
3. INSAR Closes its Doors
Following the trend of large public gatherings being cancelled or put on hold (Wimbledon, Comic-Con, my stag-do), this month autism’s biggest conference: INSAR, sadly dropped the news that it would not be opening its doors for the first time in 20 years. In its place, Peter Mandy: the President of INSAR, announced that a series of virtual conferences would be held. However, Mandy has stated that “There is no way to fully mitigate this year’s loss”.
Of course, while some may see this as another entry into the ‘Why 2020 is the worst’ list, the cancellation is not without its silver linings. Most notably, the change now provides ideal access for autistic people, who may previously have felt uncomfortable on the busy show floor, whilst those who would have had to fly around the world to join in, can now save on travel and participate from the comfort of their home (in their PJs).
What comes next for the INSAR conference and its guests is unclear. However, as the event has often been an opportunity for peers and sponsors to push forward understanding of autism, its impact on the future of autism research is likely to be felt in the months to come.
2. How Frequently Do Autism Traits Change?
Traits within autistic people change more frequently than the UK’s stance on what ‘lockdown’ actually means (and who it applies to). However, have you ever wondered just how much these twists and turns take place? Well, according to a new study published this month, these alterations might be a lot more common than once thought; with over 46% of autists seeing fundamental changes between the age of 2-6.
This information comes from almost half a decade of research, which found that 1/6 of autistic people will see their traits become more challenging, whilst 1/3 will see progression during early development. It should be noted that what ‘better’/‘worse’ means in this instance is hardly precise. However, in the studies example of verbal communication, it certainly proves that autism’s impact is far from concrete.
Interestingly, it was females who often did better on these tests. It is thought that this was probably due to the increased likelihood of girls socializing from a young age (but, whether this actually supports traits or just improves masking ability is yet to be decided). Furthermore, despite traits often playing switcheroo early on, where you end up at 6 is far from permanent, as can be seen in this post: Autism & Ageing: Does Autism Get ‘Better’ or ‘Worse’ With Age?
1. National Autistic Society Black Lives Matter
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, many companies are currently looking at what they can do to help minority groups in our community. This week, the National Autistic Society published their response to the Black Lives Matter movement and, while any person, group or organization deserves to be commended for tackling the current injustices within the world, the outlined paths from the NAS felt special.
Amongst the press release, which begins with a description of how BAME populations will feature in their current 4 part strategy, the National Autistic Society also discuss the opening of new, more diverse, branches (which will put a particular focus on BAME autists). This is an incredible step which should make a huge difference to so many lives and, while ‘excited’ feels like the wrong word to use, I can’t deny that this is how I feel about the progression.
These are only a few of the key points taken from the current NAS strategy though, so I would encourage you to read the full statement when you can. And, for those who want to take BAME autism support into their own hands, I would recommend contacting many of the incredibly diverse advocates we have – notable examples include: A2ND Voice, Tyla Grant and Kayla Smith (to name a few).
Carry on the Conversation:
So, as it seems that June has put us on the side of the seesaw with no news (rather than bad news), it’s up to you guys to use the comments below to fill out the rest of this post with your June Highlights.
As always, I can 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.
