autism – News Stories About autism - Page 1

Donald Triplett Was First Person
to Be Diagnosed With Autism

obituary

Jun 18, 2023 11:05 AM CDT

Donald Triplett Was First Person to Be Diagnosed With Autism

Parents' 22-page assessment of their son set a standard for researchers

(Newser) - The Mississippi man known as "Case 1," the first person to be diagnosed with autism, has died. Donald Triplett was the subject of a book titled In a Different Key, a PBS documentary film, BBC news magazine installment and countless medical journal articles. But to employees at the...

Autism Advocates
Starting to Dread
2024 Election

OPINION

Jun 4, 2023 9:10 AM CDT

Autism Advocates Starting to Dread 2024 Election

Steve Bannon's line that DeSantis is 'on the spectrum' raises concerns about stigma

(Newser) - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is frequently described as "awkward" when it comes to schmoozing with voters—see this New York Times story describing him in Iowa—so much so that it seems to have become an accepted truth on the 2024 campaign trail. In fact, wife Casey DeSantis is...

His Autism Left Him Isolated,
Unemployable. Then, Hope

longform

Sep 17, 2022 6:00 AM CDT

His Autism Left Him Isolated, Unemployable. Then, Hope

ProPublica reports on the innovative ITvitae program

(Newser) - By the CDC's count , 1 in 44 8-year-olds were diagnosed with having an autism spectrum disorder in 2018. As Renee Dudley writes for ProPublica , those children eventually become job-seeking adults, and in great numbers. And while there are programs that seek to employ people with autism whose focused and...

College Valedictorian Hasn't
Spoken Since She Was a Baby

May 13, 2022 8:29 AM CDT

College Valedictorian Hasn't Spoken Since She Was a Baby

Graduate with nonspeaking autism delivers inspiring address at Rollins College

(Newser) - "God gave you a voice. Use it," valedictorian Elizabeth Bonker told classmates at her Florida college in a commencement address Sunday. "And no, the irony of a nonspeaking autistic encouraging you to use your voice is not lost on me. Because if you can see the worth...

CDC Reports Uptick in
Kids Diagnosed With Autism

Dec 3, 2021 9:28 AM CST

CDC Reports Uptick in Kids Diagnosed With Autism

2018 data suggests 1 in 44 kids in US have condition; in 2016, it was 1 in 54

(Newser) - New autism numbers released Thursday suggest more US children are being diagnosed with the developmental condition—and at younger ages. In an analysis of 2018 data from nearly a dozen states, researchers at the CDC found that among 8-year-olds, 1 in 44 had been diagnosed with autism. That rate compares...

Prison Break Star
Diagnosed
With Autism
as an Adult

Jul 28, 2021 3:00 AM CDT

Prison Break Star Diagnosed With Autism as an Adult

Wentworth Miller reveals his recent journey

(Newser) - Prison Break star Wentworth Miller revealed Sunday that last fall, he was diagnosed with autism. "Let's just say it was a shock. But not a surprise," he writes on Instagram . But for anyone expecting him to immediately become outspoken about autism, think again. "Right now my...

Cover Letter Is So Popular That
LinkedIn Had to Shut It Down

Cover Letter Is So Popular That LinkedIn Had to Shut It Down

Ryan Lowry, 20, has autism, but his viral open letter on job site has opened floodgates of support

(Newser) - Making your cover letter stand out can be a tough task, but Ryan Lowry managed to do just that during his job search. Per CNN , the 20-year-old from Leesburg, Va., recently posted a handwritten open letter on LinkedIn seeking an opportunity in IT or animation, noting his "unique sense...

What Critics Are
Saying About Sia's
Controversial
New Film

MOVIE REVIEW

Feb 11, 2021 7:24 AM CST

What Critics Are Saying About Sia's Controversial New Film

'Music,' about a teen girl on the autism spectrum, is getting widely panned

(Newser) - It's been a tumultuous few months for Sia Furler, whose new film, Music, officially comes out Friday amid a good amount of controversy. Furler's directorial debut—about a newly sober drug dealer named Zu (played by Kate Hudson) who suddenly finds herself the caretaker of her teen half-sister...

After Second Wave
of Movie Criticism,
Sia Quits Twitter

Feb 5, 2021 6:42 AM CST

After Second Wave of Movie Criticism, Sia Quits Twitter

Singer-director first apologized to autism community over criticism of 'Music'

(Newser) - Controversy over pop star Sia's directorial debut came to a head Tuesday as Music was nominated for two Golden Globes , including best musical or comedy. Hours later, Sia apologized to the autism community, which has been openly critical of the film's portrayal of the titular nonverbal autistic character...

Police: Mom Drowned Her
'Voiceless' Son in a Canal

May 23, 2020 2:30 PM CDT

Police: Mom Drowned Her 'Voiceless' Son in a Canal

Patricia Ripley, 45, has been charged in Florida

(Newser) - A Miami woman faked her son's abduction after trying to drown him twice, with witnesses rescuing the boy from a canal the first time, and the second attempt ending in the boy's death, officials said Saturday. Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said Patricia Ripley, 45, is facing...

Parents: Our
Autistic Son 'Is
Being Shunned'
by Church

Feb 28, 2020 9:21 AM CST

Parents: Our Autistic Son 'Is Being Shunned' by Church

NJ couple says 8-year-old was turned down for first Holy Communion because he's nonverbal

(Newser) - A New Jersey couple is railing against their church for a "disgraceful and disheartening" act against their 8-year-old son, which they say is due to his disability. Per NBC News , Anthony LaCugna is autistic and nonverbal, and because of that, his parents say, Saint Aloysius Church in Jackson refused...

Teacher: Act
of Kindness
Could Get Me
15 Years

Nov 23, 2019 1:35 PM CST

Teacher: Act of Kindness Could Get Me 15 Years

Amy Martz says she only wanted to help a little girl

(Newser) - A Utah teacher says she was just trying to help a little girl find her parents. The result: a first-degree kidnapping charge. Amy Martz, who teaches sixth grade at Fox Hollow Elementary in West Jordan, calls the felony charge "life-altering." "I've dedicated my life to helping...

After Autistic Boy's Death,
Felony Charges for School

Nov 14, 2019 9:19 AM CST

After Autistic Boy's Death, Felony Charges for School

Max Benson died after employees held him down

(Newser) - Three employees of a now-shuttered California school for students with special needs have been charged with manslaughter in the death of a boy with autism. Max Benson, 13, died last November after he was physically restrained for nearly two hours at the Guiding Hands School in El Dorado Hills, east...

Cops Couldn't Find
Missing Boy. They
Went to Plan B

Sep 18, 2019 9:55 AM CDT

Cops Couldn't Find Missing Boy. They Went to Plan B

K9 team tracks down 3-year-old with autism in 28 minutes in Florida

(Newser) - For two hours on Sunday, sheriff's deputies methodically scoured the woods in a Pensacola suburb, frantically searching for a 3-year-old boy with autism who'd vanished. They came up empty, so they decided to pull out the big guns: the K9 team. "Once the [dogs] hit the ground,...

Despite 10 Years
of Warnings,
People Still Drink
Dangerous 'Cure'

Aug 14, 2019 11:00 AM CDT

Despite 10 Years of Warnings, People Still Drink Dangerous 'Cure'

FDA: Taking sodium chlorite products like Miracle Mineral Solution is basically drinking bleach

(Newser) - It's OK to believe in miracles, but drinking bleach for your ailments isn't going to lead to one. That's effectively what people are doing when they quaff a product known as Miracle Mineral Solution, and other products like it that promise a cure for autism, cancer, HIV,...

Man's Kindness Toward Scared
Young Seatmate Goes Viral

Man's Kindness Toward Scared Young Seatmate Goes Viral

Ben Pedraza made sure 7-year-old autistic boy had fun and felt safe during his flight

(Newser) - Alexa Bjornson was anxious about sending her 7-year-old son, Landon, on a plane by himself to see his dad in Oregon—not just because of Landon's age, but because he has high-functioning autism and was nervous about flying alone, per KATU . And so Bjornson penned a note to whoever...

They Stole a
Porch Package,
Then Found Out
What It Was

Jun 30, 2019 12:30 PM CDT

They Stole a Porch Package, Then Found Out What It Was

Thieves apologize, return replica belt meant for sick 5-year-old with brain tumor, autism

(Newser) - Thieves swiped a wrestling belt replica that belonged to a sick 5-year-old Delaware boy—but this story has a somewhat happy ending. Timothy Vick Sr. tells WBOC that little Timmy Vick was diagnosed with autism when he was just a toddler, but then, another development in October: Timmy had a...

How 'Old Town Road'
Sparked a Boy's 'Miracle'

Jun 9, 2019 4:35 PM CDT

How 'Old Town Road' Sparked a Boy's 'Miracle'

Minnesota mom Sheletta Brundidge couldn't believe it

(Newser) - "I was crying so hard that tears were dropping on his head. I was like, 'This is the beginning. This is the light!'" So says a Minnesota mom after the hit song "Old Town Road" appeared to transform the life of her autistic son Daniel,...

She Was Told
She'd Never Have
Friends. Now, a
Beauty Pageant First

Jun 8, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

She Was Told She'd Never Have Friends. Now, a Beauty Pageant First

Rachel Barcellona will be first contestant with autism to compete for Miss Florida title

(Newser) - When Rachel Barcellona was young, she received a devastating diagnosis: She had autism, and her family was told she would likely never graduate from any school, nor make friends. Now, WFLA details a big event coming up for the 22-year-old University of South Florida student: the Miss Florida beauty pageant,...

Boy With Autism
Wins School Award
—Then, Outrage

Jun 6, 2019 10:00 AM CDT

Boy With Autism Wins School Award —Then, Outrage

'Most annoying' was no compliment, say parents

(Newser) - Indiana's Akalis Castejon was proud to receive a trophy topped with a gold star at a fifth grade awards luncheon at Bailly Preparatory Academy in Gary last month. His parents, however, were peeved. While other students received awards for "best student," "most improved," and "...