News
Autistic Man Named 'Stupid' In Spin Class Wins Discrimination Law Case
Sticking it to the man is one of the greatest feelings in the world. A sense of victory like no other. Ketan Aggarwal is 30-years-old and autistic. He recently won a court battle against a gym who branded him 'stupid'... and he even represented himself. Ketan was called out by staff at a Virgin Active club spin class in Uxbridge - and he took them all the way to court after learning law in his local library. It all began when Ketan, and another cyclist, agreed that the music was too slow for the routine, prompting the instructor to yell:...
An Oscar-Nominated Film Inspires a New Approach to Autism
The obsessive interests that consume many kids on the spectrum may turn out to be pathways to growth. Dinosaurs, Star Wars, train schedules, Disney princesses, maps, LEGO—subjects such as these can become all-consuming passions for children on the autism spectrum. What therapists and educators often call “circumscribed” or “restricted” interests (or, more generously, “special” interests) make up a characteristic symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current edition of psychiatry’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders describes them as “highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus.” Roughly 90 percent of high-functioning kids with ASD display...
First Grader Buys Valentines Candy Grams For Entire School
A 6-year-old who prefers to stay to himself is getting his Valentines candy grams ready for his entire school. J.D. March doesn't need to be told to do kind things, he just does them. The first grader at Comstock Elementary School in McKinney decided he wanted to buy every student in his school a Valentine's Day candy gram this year. “There are 769 children in the school,” J.D. said. “They're going to be so happy!” At 50 cents a pop, J.D. had to run the idea by mom. “He went to his piggy bank and he asked if he had...
In Light Of Donald Trump's Autism Comments, White House Prodded On Vaccines
Hundreds of organizations — including many of the nation’s leading autism and disability advocacy groups — have written to President Donald Trump in an effort to dispel fears about vaccines. “We write to express our unequivocal support for the safety of vaccines,” reads the letter sent to the White House this week. It is signed by more than 350 organizations including The Arc, Autism Speaks, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, the Autism Science Foundation and Easterseals. Spearheaded by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the letter to Trump appears to come in response to comments he’s made about the current vaccine...
Trump: Vaccines Cause Autism And Will Be Investigated
President-elect Donald Trump believes vaccines are responsible for the autism epidemic and he has promised to find out the truth and “save our children and their future” when he takes office in January. Trump dismissed the official claim that there is no link between vaccines and autism, claiming there has been a cover up to suppress the truth and that “nay-sayers will understand soon.” “[W]e’ve had so many instances, people that work for me. Just the other day, two years old, two and a half years old, a child, a beautiful child went to have the vaccine, and came back,...
