Autism

A coming-of-age story about a teenage girl diagnosed with autism who tries to find her place in the world.

Later, as Rima approaches her 18th birthday, she must slowly learn to become more independent and find her own way regardless of her diagnosis. Rima tries to navigate the Danish education system as she attends a special needs class together with her best friend, Sarah. A coming-of-age story about a teenage girl diagnosed with autism who tries to find her place in the world.

They then used a statistical analysis to group related items into three domains: social competence, behavioral control and school motivation. Autistic children ...

Autistic and non-autistic children with similar flourishing scores should have similar scores on each of the 10 items, Ross says. After Ross and her team controlled for measurement bias, the flourishing gap between autistic and non-autistic children narrowed in all three subdomains. Ross’ team is interviewing caregivers and autistic youth, asking them to narrate their thought processes while answering questions for the NSCH. Autistic children scored lower than non-autistic children on the social competence and behavioral control domains, the study suggested. “It’s a sign of how we’re evolving our science.” But a recent [re-analysis](https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2900) of the data, published in February in Autism Research, has revealed evidence of potential measurement bias.

A social worker reflects on her 30-year-old career with undiagnosed autism, in a piece for World Autism Acceptance Week 2023.

I was always on top of things and could be relied on to get on with the job. Whilst I loved the role and could perform it well, my autistic self struggled with the politics of such a position. I managed to return to work after a period of sick leave and undertook a senior role for a year before leaving. I was exhausted, tired of masking and also menopausal. I learned that the service I had built from scratch was being disbanded while in a large conference hall surrounded by a couple of hundred people. One of the things I have learned since my diagnosis is that autistic people should be prepared for change in advance. I was lucky that I was a social worker in the days before hot desking – the neurodiverse nightmare! I don’t look at people’s eyes at all but always at their mouths, I’m not very expressive – even when I try – and I find it easier when people tell me what they are thinking because I have to work hard to guess. Out of necessity and watching others, I learned how to be honest in a socially acceptable way and became reasonably good at it. I do have logical empathy, so I understand on a cognitive level why people might feel the way they do. Occasionally, I would get overwhelmed and need to find somewhere quiet to self-regulate. I wasn’t quite sure what to do with the information, but it did prompt a period of reflection.

BA's Visual Guide to Flying is the first initiative in the UK to improve accessibility and accommodation for people with autism.

Additionally, communication barriers and misunderstandings with airline staff can further increase stress and discomfort during air travel for people with autism. Autism is a neurological condition that affects social interaction, communication and behaviour. A walk-through was then conducted to identify environmental issues that could contribute to triggers, while user journeys or scenarios were created and developed into simple autism-friendly steps in the form of sentences, which were then visually supported with artwork. He said: “We’re looking forward to further strengthening and enhancing our partnership going forward.” I fully understand the importance of having a crew and staff that comprehend the autism spectrum and how to provide assistance.” Air travel can be a trigger for individuals with autism due to a variety of factors, including unfamiliar and overwhelming sensory stimuli, changes in routine, and unpredictable schedules.