I first heard about the Autistic SPACE framework at the September 2025 Autism Europe Conference. Autistic Consultant Anesthetist and Clinical Associate Professor at the School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dr. Mary Doherty, co-created Autistic SPACE to meet the needs of autistic people in healthcare settings. The acronym stands for these five core domains: • Sensory needs. • Predictability. •…
Presuming competence with autistic individuals means that they are valued as whole individuals with the right to express their thoughts, feelings, and opinions. It also includes the right to communicate, the right to be treated age appropriately, to have their views and feelings respected, and to be involved in decisions about their lives. Autistic individuals will need accommodations and supports…
Most parents have mixed feelings about sending their children back to school. The relaxed schedule of the summer is suddenly gone and evenings become hectic with homework, extra-curricular activities, making lunches and getting clothes ready for the next day. On the other hand, it can be a relief to get back into routines and a scheduled day. Most parents need a break from their children by the end of the summer.
I went to my daughter Julia’s grade 4 class last week to give a presentation about autism. My main goal was to give the students a basic understanding of what autism is, what the strengths and difficulties are, and how they can be a friend to Julia.
Laurent Mottron, professor of psychiatry at the University of Montreal and Michelle Dawson, a postal worker on an involuntary disability leave, make an unusual research and writing team. Michelle Dawson and Dr. Mottron have co-authored six published papers in journals such as Brain, Neuropsychology and the Journal of Autism and Behavioral Disorders and are causing a stir in both the autism and scientific communities.