Apr 02 How these new Sesame Street and Power Rangers characters are changing Hollywood’s portrayal of autism By Gretchen Frazee Sesame Street is debuting Julia, the first muppet with autism. And the new “Power Rangers” movie includes Billy, the blue ranger, also on the autism spectrum. Both depictions are garnering praise from autism advocates who have long criticized Hollywood’s portrayals… Continue reading
Feb 16 AP fact check: Trump’s iffy grasp of autism research By Lauran Neergaard and Calvin Woodward, Associated Press President Donald Trump has weighed in on child autism, apparently without a complete grasp of the research. Continue reading
Feb 07 Watch 9:07 Children of color with autism face disparities of care and isolation By PBS News Hour African-American children are often diagnosed with autism at older ages than white children, missing years of potential intervention and treatment. Special correspondent John Donvan and producer Karen Zucker meet a black family who struggled to find community and resources for… Continue watching
Jan 11 High court considers higher standard for students with disabilities By Sam Hananel, Associated Press Most of the justices indicated during arguments that school districts must offer more than the bare minimum of services to children with special needs. But they struggled over how to clarify the law without inviting even more litigation between frustrated… Continue reading
Aug 11 Twitter Chat: What are the challenges of living with autism as an adult? By Jaclyn Diaz Most often, the narrative on autism focuses on young children, but as PBS NewsHour reported this week, children living with the disorder grow up to become adults. Join NewsHour for a Twitter chat at 12 p.m. EDT Friday to discuss… Continue reading
Aug 10 Watch 9:44 How Phoenix became the most autism-friendly city in the world By PBS News Hour Matt Resnik has helped changed the face of autism in his hometown. When he was diagnosed as a child, his parents poured their hearts into getting him therapy, even launching an organization, in hopes he would outgrow his challenges and… Continue watching
Aug 10 Watch 8:16 How machines are learning to read your mood By PBS News Hour Can artificial intelligence be emotionally intelligent? In Boston, researchers have programed BB-8, the little droid from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” to detect expressions and determine how people are feeling. And that technology is being adapted for marketing, video games,… Continue watching
Aug 09 Watch 9:14 Giving adults with autism the skills to build independent lives By PBS News Hour Before Josh, 36, arrived at First Place Transition Academy, he had never taken public transportation on his own, much less held down a paying job. But a new pilot program is empowering adults with autism to overcome hurdles to independence. Continue watching
Jul 07 Texas denies medicaid coverage for an autism therapy despite federal directive By Kate Harrington, Kaiser Health News Parents, who say their children with autism are legally entitled to behavioral analysis, are butting heads with Texas officials. Continue reading
Apr 27 Watch The shocking experience of finally seeing the full spectrum of emotion By PBS News Hour A medical procedure used to diagnose damage from brain injuries may also help some autistic patients make connections and understand emotions they’ve never experienced. Author John Robison underwent that experimental therapy, detailed in a new memoir, “Switched On.” Hari Sreenivasan… Continue watching