-Autistics diagnosed early report *fewer* autistic traits: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41664902/ -Learning about autism on social media relates to *higher* autism knowledge for autistic adults: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36443495/ -The DSM-5 *narrowed* autism’s diagnosis: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

RFK Jr is fighting against inclusion for disabled people at home with their families or caregivers, and against his own family’s disability rights legacy. Institutionalization costs more and is cruel. www.msn.com/en-us/health...

Melody Schreiber@melodyschreiber.com · 2d ago

“Without this, people become homeless. They lose their income. They lose their stability. Whatever tiny safety net they had is gone,” @shannonrosa.bsky.social said. “It’s just cruel.” My latest: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

"removing my adhd diagnosis was a relief (because of ablest policies that discriminate against a significant proportion of the population)" is the new "I'm happier after detransitioning (despite my ongoing dysphoria, because I'm not being actively transphobically abused every day by my society)"

Nate O@nateo.bsky.social · 2d ago

You'd have to read to the thirteenth paragraph to discover the pull quote for the title was from Marcus Siding, a 23-year-old Swedish man living in Sweden that wanted to become a cop, but his ADHD diagnosis at the age of 12 barred him by law from becoming a Swedish cop Seems relevant

PSA: Any time you see Amy Lutz's name in an autism article, please know that article is going to be pushing myths about " #ProfoundAutism," misdirecting parents from useful approaches, painting parents as martyrs, smacking down self-advocates, &/or claiming assisted communication methods are hoaxes.

Pleased to finally announce the launch of this toolkit: ‘Supporting Neurodivergent clients: A guide for practitioners facilitating domestic abuse perpetrator interventions’. Co-developed with the domestic abuse sector, neurodivergence specialists, it is designed to complement existing interventions!

Durham University@durham.ac.uk · 3mo ago

Our Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse has launched a new toolkit to support professionals working with neurodivergent men who commit domestic abuse. Partners include Community Justice Scotland, Probation Service North East, and @respectuk.bsky.social. Discover more 👉 tinyurl.com/37a42tz8

Also in time for Disability Pride Month, I want to call attention to how as more recognize that autistic women & girls & autistics assigned female at birth are autistic & disabled, the injustices in how the autism field responds to threats to its power to make abrupt, false, restrictive decisions 1/

MSc Psychology and Learning Disability@uoppald.bsky.social · 5d ago

For the online, part-time MSc Psychology and Learning Disability (autism, ID, neurodivergence) students can study from anywhere in world for the same price. Joy as @uoppald.bsky.social graduates met one another and staff face to face for the first time at graduation. www.port.ac.uk/study/course...

I'm so, so exhausted by all of the ignorant backlash against stuff like this. Neurodivergence, disability, gender, dysphoria. Endless headlines and no-think pieces based on refusal to understand the basics, of what people are saying. The Channel 4 complaints page: www.channel4.com/4viewers/con...

Scott Bryan@scottygb.bsky.social · last wk.

Channel 4 has announced documentary “The Great ADHD Myth?” It “seeks to determine whether ADHD is a genuine neurodevelopmental disorder, or a social construct.”

You might get sick of hearing this but if he keeps doing it I'm gonna keep saying it: this is an unconstitutional impoundment, violating both Congress' Article I spending authority and the 1974 Impoundment Control act, and immediately impeachable.

Catherine Rampell@crampell.bsky.social · 2w ago

Trump administration pauses $1 bln in Medicaid payments to California, Minnesota www.reuters.com/world/us-hea...

The US's new draft autism strategic plan supports segregation through "school choice" away from disability rights protections for kids and via institution-like housing for adults. Public comments are due Friday (IACCPublicInquiries@mail.nih.gov). For more info: autisticadvocacy.org/2026/02/inte...

Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) - Autistic Self Advocacy Network

Updated July 16, 2026. The public comment deadline for the July 31st meeting has been moved to July 24th. This is a page about how to share your thoughts on autism research with the U.S. government. O...

autisticadvocacy.org

Rise in autism diagnoses is not because of "mild" autism. Autistic ppl diagnosed as adults tend to report *more* autistic traits than those diagnosed as children. Whereas those seeking a diagnosis do not have fewer traits but rather more camouflaging, distress: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Disabled people’s organisations have raised grave concerns about last week’s “less than honest” report from the Timms Review and warn it has “diluted” disabled people’s concerns about possible cuts to their personal independence payment. #PIP #DWP www.disabilitynewsservice.com/pip-review-d...

PIP review: Disabled people’s organisations raise concerns over ‘less than honest’ and ‘diluted’ report

Disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) have raised grave concerns about last week’s “less than honest” report from the Timms Review and have warned that it has “diluted” disabled people’s concerns …

disabilitynewsservice.com

Autistic ppl are so diverse that there are no well-replicated subgroups by separate research teams, and diagnoses should be descriptive rather than prescriptive - support needs to be personalized and based on need. Meanwhile, some carry a specific anti-neurodiversity agenda w/ "profound autism". 1/

Thinking Person's Guide to Autism@thinkingautism.com · 4w ago

Just because the same group of mostly anti-neurodiversity, non-autistic people keep trying to make #ProfoundAutism happen does not mean the proposed label actually has merit. In fact, the term has the potential to do great harm, as @drstevenkapp.bsky.social details: www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13...

Are you a UK-based autistic adult (formally diagnosed or self-identified) who has (like me) been assigned the "challenging behaviour" label or similar? If so, I'd love to hear from you for my @uoppald.bsky.social research, supervised by @drstevenkapp.bsky.social. 📧 Chloe.Apter@myport.ac.uk

Happy Disability Pride month! This paper was written partly to help update @drstevenkapp.bsky.social's Neurodiversity Studies module for our @uoppald.bsky.social MSc Psychology and Learning Disability (autism, LD, ND) course - students got first access. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

The neurodiversity movement vs. the medical model of autism

Click on the article title to read more.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Centre for Research in Autism and Education@craeioe.bsky.social · last mo.

#CRAEisReading Kapp (2026) The neurodiversity movement vs. the medical model of autism A call to "maximize common ground in the autism community to fight for shared values in science and services (even if their goals are different)". doi.org/10.1002/wps....

Online, part-time master's I teach & supervise on has academics from different countries & content isn't UK-specific. Sessions are recorded & "live" attendance is optional; plenty of options to meet w/ us 1-2-1 across time zones. Total cost over 2 years ~$15k USD or $21k AUD or CAD. Happy to discuss

MSc Psychology and Learning Disability@uoppald.bsky.social · last mo.

Our MSc teaches progressively on autism, intellectual disability, & neurodivergence. Online: study anywhere, w/ option to attend "live" or study on own. Psych background not needed. Same cost everywhere! £11,200 split over 2 years - competitive for UK, US, AUS, CAN... www.port.ac.uk/study/course...

As Pride Month approaches an end, let's consider the intersection of conversion therapy and applied behavior analysis (ABA). They have a shared history and there is opportunity to make comment to Independent Autism Coordinating Committee (I-ACC) ahead of its July 23rd meeting: www.i-accautism.org 1/

Redundancies (layoffs) are proposed at the uni that brought me to UK, targeting mostly the wonderful, exceptionally world-leading Faculty I worked in. University of Exeter is not in financial deficit, & did not consult or properly explain decision. Please sign to stop. www.change.org/p/stop-redun...

Sign the Petition

Stop Redundancies at the University of Exeter

change.org

The Guardian view on disability rights: the removal of legal safeguards brings risks | Editorial Charities are right to be concerned about the supreme court’s decision to lessen oversight of care settingsThe UK supreme court has ended a system of safeguards around the human rights of disabled...

The Guardian view on disability rights: the removal of legal safeguards brings risks | Editorial

Editorial: Charities are right to be concerned about the supreme court’s decision to lessen oversight of care settings

theguardian.com

"One of the most profound things we can do is provide autistic people space to just be, so they can follow their internal compass, and live well." From @drmbothapsych.bsky.social's #INSAR2026 talk on autistic people steering autism research. (We are finalizing our INSAR 2026 coverage, stay tuned!)

My @uoppald.bsky.social student @chloeapter.bsky.social is recruiting autistic adults in the UK who have been assigned a label like “challenging behaviour” as she has. Would you consider sharing your experience with her or reposting so others may have more opportunity to do so? Thank you.

Chloe Apter (she/her)@chloeapter.bsky.social · last mo.

Are you a UK-based autistic adult who has - like me - been assigned the "challenging behaviour" label or similar? If so, I'm looking to hear more about your experiences for my @uoppald.bsky.social research. 📧 Chloe.Apter@myport.ac.uk Supervisor: @drstevenkapp.bsky.social

As someone who influenced it: the diagnostic criteria for autism were *not* expanded in the DSM-5 compared to the DSM-IV. A 2019 meta-analysis concluded the diagnostic criteria were slightly narrowed: link.springer.com/article/10.1..., which of course was the goal of the DSM-5. Thread 1/

How has DSM-5 Affected Autism Diagnosis? A 5-Year Follow-Up Systematic Literature Review and Meta-analysis - Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

We conducted a 5-year follow-up systematic review and meta-analysis to determine change in frequency of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis since diagnostic and statistical manual 5 (DSM-5) publi...

link.springer.com

New Scientist@newscientist.com · 2mo ago

A study of 140,000 people suggests that a broadening of the diagnostic criteria for autism and ADHD explains the sharp rise in diagnoses, but that doesn't mean too many people are being told they are autistic or have ADHD

New paper: psychotherapy frameworks need to not be based in neuronormative assumptions; neurodiversity-affirming practice requires epistemic humility, collaborative care, & rethinking how we define progress to prevent harm as well as define & promote wellbeing. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

Event tomorrow at 3 pm UK time: online webinar launching new Accessing Disability Library: co-produced evidence-informed data collection tools and guidance for an open-access library (ADLib), regarding including ppl w/ intellectual disabilities in & beyond research www.eventbrite.com/e/accessing-...

Accessing Disability Library (ADLib) Launch Webinar

Join our online webinar to launch the new Accessing Disability Library.

eventbrite.com

I used to work supporting autistic adults given the "challenging behaviour" label. Then, I was diagnosed as autistic & given the "challenging behaviour" label myself. Are you a UK-based autistic adult who has received this or a similar label? 📧 Chloe.Apter@myport.ac.uk @drstevenkapp.bsky.social

My @uoppald.bsky.social student @chloeapter.bsky.social is seeking more participants for her study on autistic people's experiences of being assigned a label like "challenging behaviour"/"problem behaviour" etc (like her). W/ enough participants, all going well, we hope to publish. Could you repost?

Chloe Apter (she/her)@chloeapter.bsky.social · 3mo ago

How do autistic adults make sense of being assigned the "challenging behaviour" label? *RECRUITING PARTICIPANTS* I am autistic & I have been assigned the "challenging behaviour" label Supervisor: @drstevenkapp.bsky.social Email Chloe.Apter@myport.ac.uk to express interest/for more information

VERY obviously, physical punishment of children a terrible idea. But given the manosphere / conservative embrace of regressive parenting, this message key👇 Children hit by parents more likely to bully others & struggle in school: www.theguardian.com/education/20... via @ucl.ac.uk @theguardian.com

Children hit by parents more likely to bully others, research finds

The UCL study also found physically punished children were more likely to struggle in school

theguardian.com

The UK's "NEET" young ppl numbers fell from 2024 to 2025, & rose because of Brexit & pandemic response. Numbers were higher in 2010s, even 2000s before Great Recession. Not autistic people's fault! ttps://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/neet-statistics-annual-brief/2025

Release home - NEET age 16 to 24

Annual estimates from the Labour Force Survey of young people aged 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England.

explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk

Steven Kapp@drstevenkapp.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Tomorrow UK's House of Lords Committee will debate the Autism Act 2009 & new autism strategy. You can attend/watch below. Dangerous time: Government harmfully claims autism may be overdiagnosed & right-wing thinktank below claims children should have (harmful) behavioural therapy, not diagnoses. 1/

Tomorrow UK's House of Lords Committee will debate the Autism Act 2009 & new autism strategy. You can attend/watch below. Dangerous time: Government harmfully claims autism may be overdiagnosed & right-wing thinktank below claims children should have (harmful) behavioural therapy, not diagnoses. 1/

GPs 'under pressure' to diagnose autism and ADHD for benefit entitlement, report finds

GPs are ‘coming under pressure’ to diagnose conditions such as autism and ADHD that lead to benefit entitlement, a new report has found.

pulsetoday.co.uk

House of Lords Autism Act 2009 Committee@hlautismactcom.parliament.uk · 2mo ago

🧵[1] On Wednesday 10 June, the House of Lords (HoL) will debate the Autism Act 2009 Committee's report. The Committee recommended that the Government urgently deliver the new autism strategy, so it’s ready to launch when the current one expires in July 2026.

In @journalautism.bsky.social's 30th anniversary special collection w/ editor-picked papers, paper by Damian Milton, our own @eminegurbuz.bsky.social, & our Director Beatriz Lopez "The 'double empathy problem': Ten years on" was only paper selected by 2+ editors! journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

We produced 19 outcome measures & 12 characteristic modules. Each instrument has a version for autistic ppl & one for caregivers through a multi-phase participatory approach. The measures tested very well (accessible, internally consistent, reliable, good convergent validity, responsive to change).

Thinking Person's Guide to Autism@thinkingautism.com · 2mo ago

The AASPIRE Measurement Toolkit is now available! This is a set of accessible, participatory-generated questionnaires that can be used to measure the outcomes that are most important to autistic adults. They can be used in clinical, community, and/or research settings. aaspire.org/measurement/