#autism

#autism

At the window he put his nose against the glass, which was beautifully cold, then drew away and saw the new consistency of the air: quick and blurred and sputtering white. The changed air was leaving itself on the tree branches. The care in those words, the sensitivity! Snow-dreaded, beloved; oppressive, angelic; shoveled, ogled-with the agency to leave itself so wonderfully on the branches! For no fault of his own, James is often in need of salvation. Like snow, he is the most beautiful problem.

For a lot of adults on the autism spectrum, navigating everyday life can feel like stepping into a movie where everyone else got the script ahead of time and you didn't. People seem to know how to move, what to say, and how to react. There are rules, cues, gestures, and tones, most of them unspoken, and yet somehow understood by everyone else. If you're autistic, it can feel like everyone's fluent in a social language you were never taught.

Internalising conditions are defined by what a person feels inside-thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations-that may not be visible to others. Take depression: although it can involve externally observable changes like altered sleep, appetite, or activity, its essence is often thought to draw heavily on internal, subjective experiences: lowered mood, emotional blunting, feelings of guilt, and rumination. The same is true for anxiety disorders, where excessive worry, dread, and tension are core criteria.

There's little doubt that autistic people are the most unemployed, underpaid, and overeducated disability population. While no research suggests that autistic people are poor workers, there is research that shines a light on how well their bottom-up processing and "noisy brains" make them particularly suited for plenty of productive work. Autistic people may face serious challenges in the work world because of their sensitivity to social justice, their lack of awareness of hierarchy.

The annual mortality review commissioned by NHS England was originally meant to be published last year but faced repeated delays. It found 39% of deaths of people with learning disabilities and autism were classed as avoidable in 2023, almost twice as high as the general population. NHS England said it was rolling out more training for staff and identifying patients with learning disabilities earlier so they can be given more "appropriate care".

Nearly 30 years ago, we went on a vacation with my two little boys to Sanibel Island. We chose a pizza place because, why not? But the pizza they served was, of course, different from our pizza at home. I remember watching with dismay as my oldest son, Nat, who has fairly profound autism, took a bite, scrunched up his face, and said, "Vacation" with angry tears in his voice.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have autism, which makes it difficult to understand social situations especially within close friendships. I also tend to be a people-pleaser. My best friend and I met in high school the day I moved to a new state, and we have now been friends for 13 years. I was the maid of honor at her wedding.

On Sunday, just before 9 a.m., police responded to a report of a missing child near Broad Street and Tompkins Avenue, a spokesperson for the NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information said. Upon arrival, officers were told that Thomas was missing, and they began canvassing the surrounding area. After a short search, they discovered Thomas unconscious and unresponsive in the water near the 600 block of Bay Street in Stapleton.

Interoception, often called the 'hidden sense,' allows the brain to receive and interpret internal body signals, crucial for emotional self-awareness.

For autistic adults, whose lives are already marked by significant challenges in social communication and interpretation, this cultural phenomenon can be especially dangerous.

Tony DeBlois, a blind and autistic musical savant, plays 23 instruments, has over 10,000 songs in his repertoire, and can perform anything after hearing it once.

"It's not some abstract issue. This is about whether I get to live my life." After transitioning, everything shifted. My daughter found hope, felt joy, and had the energy to connect with new friends.

The most obvious, omnipresent realities are often the hardest to see. For me, autism is that water; the invisible medium through which I experience life.

When my son Sam was seven or eight years old, he spent a good bit of time on weekends upside down on a floral-print armchair in our living room.

"They require the supervision of a 2-year-old because they don't always understand danger. It's pretty stressful on a regular basis."

The invitation to the birthday party indicates that your son is already being held in mind by peers, which is a positive sign for his social integration.

We've seen this firsthand. At a small program we run, daily routines often include time in nature. Sometimes a brisk walk in the woods, sometimes just sitting outside for some morning sunlight. The shift in our students is visible. They return from even a 15-minute walk more regulated, more connected, and better prepared to learn.

Society sells us a fantasy that 'real adults' effortlessly juggle everything... Well, secret files reveal: This mythical adult doesn't exist.

Chris Bryant, a rising comic with autism spectrum disorder, emphasizes that his diagnosis brought him relief and understanding, paving the way for deeper self-acceptance.

To be candid, I didn't find out that I was truly autistic - of course I had my assumptions through my life - until we did the casting process for All Stars 10 and I went in for my psychiatric evaluation.

Repetitive behaviors are not an uncommon part of human experience, but not all repetitive actions serve the same purpose or carry the same meaning.

Chris' story made me reflect on my own life. I realized that I shared many traits with him that I had never connected to autism.

"I've been reading a lot lately. Have you read One Hundred Years of Solitude? That book really moved me. I think it could be the most beautiful book I've ever read."

I couldn't land a consistent job I wanted. I started working in retail, first at Tiffany & Co., but I didn't make it through training.

John Carpenter's "Starman" represents emotional catharsis and an idealistic America, marking a nostalgic film experience for the author since their childhood in 1984.