Monthly Archives: April 2020

A small study by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine has identified a biological marker in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of human infants that may predict the future development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study, which exploited a “one-of-a-kind” archive of biomaterials, showed that the hormone vasopressin was present at much lower levels […]

Autism researchers are starting to think that autistic and non-autistic faces may “speak a different language” when conveying emotion. This could mean the “social difficulties” often associated with autism may, at least partly, result from differences in the facial expressions produced by autistic and non-autistic people. It means we may need to re-think the idea […]

As the coronavirus epidemic continues to drone on, Americans are embracing a new “normal” and leaving behind the daily routines that, until recently, crafted so much of daily life. But for children with an autism spectrum disorder — which affects about 1 in 54 children in the U.S., according to federal estimates —  adjusting to […]

Home-based learning plans are not the same for all 19 government-funded special education schools in Singapore. Some cater to students with intellectual disabilities, while others are meant for those with autism or multiple disabilities. Learning packages for individual students might also differ according to their learning goals. Intervention support is now online, with support extended […]

Getting a job can be difficult these days, even more so for those with special needs. For Faris Wong, who has autism spectrum disorder, finding employment in Singapore is a challenge as opportunities are scarce. The 32-year-old had to stay home for quite some time before he joined Personalised Love (PLove), a studio in Jurong […]

Madam Nur Hidayah Shahrudin used to take her son Rizq to parks or to Changi Airport every week so he could practise walking with his pacer gait in large open spaces. But as social distancing and circuit breaker measures were put in place in recent weeks, her seven-year-old son, who has cerebral palsy, has had […]

As any student of American history will tell you, a presidential campaign doesn’t have to end in electoral victory to change history. From William Jennings Bryan advocating social welfare policies adopted by later presidents and Eugene McCarthy mainstreaming opposition to the Vietnam War to Shirley Chisholm breaking barriers for women and African Americans and Jesse […]

Some people with autism have an unusually large head: This fact has been known since autism was first described in the 1940s. But debate about this finding has raged ever since. How many people with autism have a large head? What causes the enlargement? And does it have any bearing on outcome? Here is what […]

MANILA, Philippines – Every morning, Marjorey Rubio and her husband are awakened by their 6-year-old son’s plea to go outside the house. It had been the established routine of the child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), epilepsy, and global development delay. It would have been like any other day of caring for their beloved […]

With the increasing spread of Covid-19 in Singapore, wariness between strangers has naturally heightened. This was not the case between a SMRT staff and a young boy though, as witnessed by one Kelvin Ang. Boy appeared to be a bus enthusiast Ang shared details of the heartwarming encounter between the elderly man and boy on […]