Autism Spectrum Disorder

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A nonspeaking valedictorian with autism gives her college's commencement speech

She didn't say a word — and that only made her message resonate more powerfully. Valedictorian Elizabeth Bonker recently delivered the commencement speech at Rollins College in Florida, urging her classmates to serve others and embrace the power of sharing.

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/12/1098506522/nonspeaking-valedictorian-autism-college-commencement-speech?

11-year-old who launched golf apparel company to cope with autism is offered full university scholarship

He was offered a full scholarship to Florida Memorial University at the South Florida HBCU Golf Classic event.

https://scoop.upworthy.com/11-year-old-who-launched-golf-apparel-to-cope-with-autism-offered-full-scholarship-at-university?

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Nurse Builds Puzzle Ranch, a Safe Haven for Children with Autism

Tucked away in the countryside of Sorrento, Florida, Puzzle Ranch has become a safe haven for families with children with autism. For Cameron Munoz, a labor and delivery nurse at AdventHealth Waterman, it’s also home for her four boys, who are all on the autism spectrum.

https://adventist.news/news/nurse-builds-puzzle-ranch-a-safe-haven-for-children-with-autism

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Autism drowning deaths prompt push for children’s specialized swim lessons

Jonathan Eichenholz was 3 years old when he was diagnosed with autism. His parents nicknamed him “Houdini” because of his propensity to escape from home, school and even his car seat while in traffic.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/09/02/drowning-deaths-of-kids-with-autism-lead-to-push-for-specialized-swim-lessons/?

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More adults are wondering if they have autism. Here are tips to seek a diagnosis

ATLANTA (AP) — Natasha Nelson, a 35-year old entrepreneur in Stone Mountain, Georgia, didn’t have an innate sense of social norms. She didn’t know why people meeting for the first time would choose to engage in small talk instead of deep conversations, or why people like to make their beds.

https://apnews.com/article/adult-autism-diagnosis-spectrum-4babb9b0eea3335dddc93c35f7fcd913?

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? Sneak peek: From autism to anchor desk

Cover: Harper Horizon

Leland Vittert — anchor of NewsNation's prime-time "On Balance" — will be out Sept. 30 with "Born Lucky: A Dedicated Father, A Grateful Son, and My Journey with Autism," chronicling his dad's role in coaching him from childhood struggles to the journalistic heights of war and political coverage. "This book is about giving hope to tens of millions of parents whose kids are struggling every day — not just with autism and the spectrum, but ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, bullying and the difficulties of growing up," says Vittert, 42, whose childhood nickname was "Lucky." The backstory: Vittert, also author of the newsletter "War Notes," showed early signs "of being autistic — a term rarely used at the time — struggling with social cues, communication, and behavioral norms," says the announcement from the publisher, Harper Horizon. Vittert's father, Mark, sold his company and "became a full-time parent-coach, training Leland and teaching him the skills he needed to navigate in society." In a YouTube book trailer, Vittert says from his anchor desk, the Capitol dome over his shoulder: "I'm living proof you don't have to be defined by your diagnosis. As a little boy, child psychologists told my parents I had what we now know as autism. ... I didn't talk until I was 3." Vittert says that at a time when he had no friends and was called "weird," his dad "knew the world wouldn't change for me. He had to change me for the world." When "Lucky" was 7, his dad had him doing 200 pushups a day to give the bullies a run for their money. Watch the trailer ... More on the book.

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Gender gap

Researchers historically have viewed autism as a distinctly “male” neurotype. A new book investigates how and why scientists and clinicians have underestimated or overlooked autism in women and girls.

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Slideshow: A Visual Guide to Autism

Medically Reviewed by Mahammad Juber, MD on March 09, 2025

https://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/ss/slideshow-autism-overview?

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Autism

A new report from the CDC offers some clarity about autism in America. On Tuesday, the CDC reported that the autism diagnosis rate had increased among US children. About 1 in every 31 was diagnosed with autism by the age of 8 in 2022 — up from 1 in 36 in 2020. Although the Department of Health and Human Services recently launched a new research effort to identify the cause of what HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. described as “the autism epidemic,” the new CDC report says that better diagnostic practices explain many of the recent findings. The Autism Society of America also refuted the idea that rising autism prevalence signals an epidemic and said the data should not drive misinformation or political rhetoric. “It is likely you know or love someone with autism, and we need credible, science-based research to better understand autism, its contributing factors and the diversity of needs across the spectrum,” Christopher Banks, president and CEO of the Autism Society said.

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A Teacher Dragged a 6-Year-Old With Autism by His Ankle. Federal Civil Rights Officials Might Not Do Anything.

The Garrison School is part of a special education district that had students arrested at the highest rate in the country. It had pledged to change how it disciplines kids after a ProPublica-Chicago Tribune investigation and subsequent federal probe.

https://www.propublica.org/article/garrison-school-illinois-autistic-student-dragged-ankle?

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Asperger’s: Symptoms and Signs

What Is Asperger’s Syndrome?

Asperger’s (also called Asperger’s Syndrome or Asperger Syndrome) is one of the conditions in the broader category of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although it previously had its own designation, it became part of the umbrella diagnosis of ASD in 2013. Now, there are three types of autism spectrum disorder:

https://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/aspergers-symptoms-signs?

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Pregnant and Taking Tylenol? 5 Things to Know Right Now

Sept. 23, 2025 – As if pregnancy didn't come with enough worries, this week's headlines added another.

https://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20250923/pregnant-and-taking-tylenol-5-things-to-know-right-now?

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Fitness for everyone

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

Matthew Iglesias, 20, of Santee, Calif. — a suburb of San Diego — has nonverbal autism, epilepsy and some physical impairments. He's been doing personal training at a local 24 Hour Fitness three times a week for a few months. He's working with Special Strong, a new adaptive fitness program in San Diego that's helping kids and adults with physical, cognitive and developmental disabilities build muscle, confidence and social skills, Axios San Diego's Kate Murphy reports. ? The big picture: More than a quarter of U.S. adults ages 18–64 have a disability — and they're three times more likely to have heart disease, diabetes or cancer than adults without disabilities, according to the CDC. Aerobic physical activity can help reduce the effect of those chronic diseases, but accessing it is a challenge for many, the CDC notes. Matthew does stretching, strength training, and balance and coordination exercises that incorporate cognitive challenges, stimulating his mind while working out. "It's saved his life," his dad, Mitch Iglesias, tells Axios. A Special Strong group session for youth in San Diego. Photo: Special Strong San Diego Zoom in: Special Strong — which is a national franchise — offers group classes, personal training and aquatics fitness programs at local gyms, allowing folks to work out near their homes and in a social setting that doesn't feel like a doctor's appointment. "We had some things in the community, but it was not personalized to his needs," says Sana Firdose, who co-owns Special Strong's San Diego franchise, referring to her teenage son. "I wanted him to feel included and go to a regular gym." ? The coaches are personal trainers with additional adaptive fitness certifications to support individuals with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis, plus stroke survivors, amputees and wheelchair users. They serve 8-year-olds to seniors.

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As some people push to make profound autism its own diagnosis, this family is raising twins with it

Autism rates have been rising for decades, and two of the main reasons for the increase have, in a strange twist, taken some of the focus off helping people with round-the-clock needs. The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, adopted in 2013, is now very broad, including many people with low support needs. There’s a growing push to separate profound autism — in which people need constant care for life, have a certain level of intellectual disability and are nonspeaking or minimally verbal — into its own diagnosis. Read more.

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