Autism

Dr. Mai Pham is an internist and former senior Medicare and Medicaid official with degrees from Harvard and Johns Hopkins universities, but she still struggled to find care for her son with autism, Alex Roodman.

Health & Safety

Kids with autism struggle to adapt to adulthood. One doctor is trying to change that

1:14pm February 12, 2022

by Noam Levey

Dr. Mai Pham left a corporate career to spark change in a system that is failing millions of Americans with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.

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Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient.

Author Helen Hoang Talks Sex, Autism And Freedom

5:30pm July 30, 2021

by Alyssa Jeong Perry

This summer, Code Switch is laser-focused on books that teach us about freedom. Today, we're in conversation with a romance novelist whose own identity helped inform a rich cast of characters.

Sandra's 17-year-old daughter, Lindsey, has autism. Lindsey thrives on routine, and got special help at school until the coronavirus pandemic cut her off from the trained teachers and therapists she'd come to rely on.

'I've Tried Everything': Pandemic Worsens Child Mental Health Crisis

11:47am January 18, 2021

When schools closed last spring, children with severe mental illnesses were cut off from the services they'd come to rely on. Many have since spiraled into emergency rooms and even police custody.

Feda Almaliti with her son, 15-year-old Muhammed, who has severe autism. "Muhammed is an energetic, loving boy who doesn't understand what's going on right now," she says.

Health & Safety

'He's Incredibly Confused': Parenting A Child With Autism During The Pandemic

11:12pm May 22, 2020

Feda Almaliti is the mother of a 15-year-old son with severe autism and an advocate. She describes how the challenges of the coronavirus crisis are exponentially more difficult for families like hers.

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This image from an electron microscope shows a cross-sectional view of an oligodendrocyte (blue) among nerve fibers coated with myelin (dark red). In models of autism spectrum disorder, oligodendrocytes appear to create too much or too little myelin.

Researchers Link Autism To A System That Insulates Brain Wiring

5:45pm February 03, 2020

by Jon Hamilton

Brains affected by autism appear to share a problem with cells that make myelin, the insulating coating surrounding nerve fibers that controls the speed at which the fibers convey electrical signals.

Dogs' olfactory capacity — they can sniff in parts per trillion — primes them to detect disease.

How Super Sniffer Dogs Are Helping Detect Disease Around The World

8:55pm January 25, 2020

by John Henning Schumann

Our canine buddies can do more than play fetch. Turns out dogs' incredible sense of smell is a secret weapon in medicine.

The University of Iowa is working to include teens on the autism spectrum in its programs for gifted students.

Health & Safety

Gifted Students With Autism Find An Intellectual Oasis In Iowa

7:08pm October 16, 2019

by Jon Hamilton

A center at the University of Iowa is making sure that its programs for gifted teens include those with autism spectrum disorders.

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Sheletta and Shawn Brundidge, alongside their four children, were the first fans to use the sensory room at the Minnesota Vikings' U.S. Bank Stadium. Opened during the August pre-season, the space comes with trained therapists and provides fans, including

NFL Season Kicks Off With Refuges For Fans With Sensory Needs To Take A Timeout

5:15pm September 10, 2019

by Amy Held

The Philadelphia Eagles, the Seattle Seahawks and the Minnesota Vikings have all opened rooms in their stadiums for fans, including those with autism, who need a break from sensory overload.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor has written a children's book called Just Ask! inspired by her desire to help kids embrace diversity. "If you don't know why someone's doing something, just ask them," she says. "Don't assume the worst in people."

'Just Ask!' Says Sonia Sotomayor. She Knows What It's Like To Feel Different

8:38am September 01, 2019

by Samantha Balaban

We're all different and that's good, says the U.S. Supreme Court justice. Her new children's book about embracing diversity portrays kids of all abilities working together to create a gorgeous garden.

A large new "sensory space" at Pittsburgh International Airport is divided into separate rooms; families can tailor sound and light levels to each traveler, whatever their age.

Kids And Adults With Autism Flying Easier In Pittsburgh, With Airport's Help

1:24pm August 08, 2019

by Kathleen Davis

Pittsburgh International Airport has opened a 1,500-square-foot "sensory space" to help people on the autism spectrum decompress during travel. Soothing colors and private, soundproof rooms are a hit.

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