Latest news with #AutismSocietyofAmerica
The Age
01-05-2025
- Health
- The Age
As companies return to the office, these workers are being left behind
For years, Ashley Palardy didn't understand why she was completely drained after a day at the office. Her exhaustion and anxiety would get so bad that sometimes she'd lock herself in the bathroom for an hour or sequester herself in a private space during lunch to decompress and then go straight to bed after work. But a year ago, she got her answer through a diagnosis: She has autism. Palardy, who also has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, is a contractor for two companies and has worked remotely in Houston and Austin for about three years. But as she looks for a full-time position, the 26-year-old worries about flexibility. 'It really does scare me,' she said, adding that she's hesitant to ask for accommodation that would be covered by the American Disabilities Act out of fear of discrimination. 'I want to do well … but I know how much time and energy it takes to show up.' Anxiety is rising for some of the millions of people who identify as neurodivergent – those whose brains function differently such as those with ADHD, autism or dyslexia. More companies are requiring workers to return to an office five days a week. Simultaneously, the Trump administration has criticised diversity, equity and inclusion programs, while Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – secretary for health and human services – suggested people with autism won't hold jobs. While many neurodivergent people excel in an office, others struggle with sensory issues, inability to focus and exhaustion, workers say. Advocates say it's particularly difficult for neurodivergent people to get flexible work due to the new movement to cut programs that sometimes helps them. 'The job market right now is really competitive,' said Kristyn Roth, chief marketing officer of the Autism Society of America. 'If accommodations [like flexibility] are being cut and DEI services continue to be deprioritised, job opportunities become even more narrow for autistic or neurodiverse workers.' About a fifth of US adults self-identify as neurodivergent with a majority saying they always or usually feel that their brain works differently, according to a recent survey by research and analytics firm YouGov. They cite issues such as starting tasks before finishing others, being overwhelmed by social situations and struggling to focus. Companies like Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, AT&T and Goldman Sachs have mandated workers to the office full-time, citing innovation, collaboration and culture, among others, for the change and threatening to fire those who don't comply.
Fox News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX): Kudos To The Trump Administration On Border Security
Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX) tells Brian Kilmeade that the border crossings in March are at their lowest in history and gives kudos to the Trump administration for their policies that have been the driving factor in stopping the flow of border crossings. Among the most important changes according to Cuellar is ending catch and release. Cuellar also praised President Trump putting pressure on Mexico to do more to stop fentanyl. Cuellar said he could not get the prior administration to do what the Trump administration has done because they did not want to aggravate immigration advocates. Cuellar could not believe the Biden administration were putting the immigration advocates above our border communities. Cuellar also weighed in on members the democrat party supporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Cuellar says he won't criticize some of his colleagues because that can do whatever they wanna do. Cuellar says, 'This is not right person to be saying we need to bring him back to the United States. I understand the arguments about due processes, but this is not that case to fight.' Plus, Congressman Cuellar, who just received the 2025 Autism Advocacy Award by the Autism Society of America, on working in a bipartisan way to help push more funding for Autism. Listen here:
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. Calls Autism Worse than Covid in New Bonkers Rant
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. again likened autism to an 'epidemic' and said it is far worse than millions of COVID-19 deaths. The health and human services secretary made the comparison during a Sunday interview with billionaire GOP donor John Catsimatidis on WABC 770 AM's The Cats Roundtable. Moreover, he claimed that the 'pure economic cost of autism' will cost the United States $1 trillion a year in lost 'productivity' by 2035. 'Autism affects children and affects them at the beginning of their lives, the beginning of their productivity,' RFK Jr. said. 'It dwarfs the COVID epidemic and the impacts on our country because COVID killed old people.' He added: 'It's absolutely debilitating for them, their families, their communities.' RFK Jr. comments come on the heels of a Wednesday press conference in which he claimed that children with autism won't grow up to live full lives. 'These are kids of who will never pay taxes, they'll never hold a job, they'll never play baseball, they'll never write a poem, they'll never go out on a date, many of them will never use a toilet unassisted,' RFK Jr. said. His comments sparked the ire of several autism awareness advocates, celebrities with autistic children, and medical professionals who ripped the secretary as misinformed. '[Autism] is not an epidemic, nor should it be compared to the COVID-19 pandemic, and using language like that perpetuates falsehoods, stigma and stereotypes,' said Autism Society of America president and CEO Christopher Banks in response to the comments. RFK Jr. has also suggested that autism is the result of environmental factors and vaccines. However, the Centers for Disease Control, which RFK Jr oversees, reported that family history is the greatest risk factor for autism, in addition to birth complications. In his interview with Catsimatidis, RFK Jr. clarified that his press conference comments were directed at people with 'profound autism.' 'Many of these kids are aging out and their parents worry every day. And I'm talking about people with severe autism, what's called profound autism, which is about, which is about 26 percent of the total people who are diagnosed with autism,' RFK Jr. alleged. 'Those families, those children are non-verbal, they're non-toilet trained. They have all this stereotypical features of autism, head banging, toe walking, stimming, agonizing gut pain and head banging. Those kids are kids that will not hold jobs.'
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Autism Advocates Come Out Hard Against RFK Jr.'s Latest Rhetoric
A coalition of autism advocacy groups issued a vigorous rebuke of the conspiracy theory-laden rhetoric Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been pushing about the disorder, saying his latest commentary 'undermines respect for Autistic people.' Thursday's statement from six organizations, including the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Autism Society of America and Autism Speaks, does not mention the Health and Human Services' secretary by name, but directly references his recent comments calling autism a 'preventable disease' and an 'epidemic.' 'We are deeply concerned by growing public rhetoric and policy decisions that challenge these shared principles,' the group's statement said, noting that it's essential that policymakers recognize that vaccines do not cause autism ― two things Kennedy has repeatedly linked without any supporting evidence ― and that people with autism deserve 'respect and support.' 'Claims that Autism is 'preventable' is not supported by scientific consensus and perpetuate stigma,' the group said. 'Language framing Autism as a 'chronic disease,' a 'childhood disease' or 'epidemic' distorts public understanding and undermines respect for Autistic people.' About a dozen more advocacy groups have endorsed the joint statement, which says they 'stand united in our call for science-based decision-making and increased investment in the research, programs and services the Autism community needs to live fully.' Kennedy has ramped up his talk of autism in recent days, saying a week ago that'by September we will know what has caused the autism epidemic,' disregarding that the disorder, which is not considered a disease, has been heavily researched worldwide for decades. 'We've launched a massive testing and research effort that's going to involve hundreds of scientists from around the world. By September, we will know what has caused the autism epidemic and we'll be able to eliminate those exposures,' he declared at a Trump Cabinet meeting. And on Wednesday, Kennedy told reporters that 'environmental toxins' were to blame for the increase in autism rates ― something experts in the field say is actually a result of improved diagnostics, a broadened definition of the disorder and increased awareness. 'This is a preventable disease. We know that it's an environmental exposure. It has to be. Genes do not cause epidemics,' he claimed. RFK Jr. Blames High Autism Rates On Only 1 'Preventable' Cause RFK Jr. Says We'll Soon Know What's Fueling The Autism Epidemic. His Prediction Is Wild. RFK Jr.'s Obsession With Autism Is A 'Dangerous' Form Of Ableism. Here's Why.
USA Today
17-04-2025
- Health
- USA Today
What is autism spectrum disorder?
What is autism spectrum disorder? Show Caption Hide Caption This 6-year-old is off to first grade and couldn't be more excited 6-year-old Deuce Hall, who has autism, is excited to head to first grade after graduating from Applied Behavior Analysis class in Augusta, Georgia. USA Today Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is the clinical name for the condition most people refer to as autism. Autism is defined as "a complex developmental condition that affects communication, social interaction and behavior," says Christopher Banks, president and CEO of the Autism Society of America. It's considered a neurobiological condition because "autism likely begins before a baby is born and affects their social communication development," explains Catherine Lord, a renowned autism researcher and a professor of human development and psychology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Because this affected development can vary widely from person to person, some who only have a few related traits may not even know they are autistic; while others might be nonspeaking and require full-time care. "I wasn't diagnosed with autism until I was in eighth grade, though my parents suspected I had it much sooner," says Mary Jane Andersen, a 19-year-old student living in Rexburg, Idaho. The reason she wasn't evaluated sooner, she explains, is because "family friends told my parents that autism usually only affects boys and they said I didn't seem to have any of the obvious signs." Here's why the condition can be missed, why it affects each person differently and how autistic people are best supported. He was a 5th grade dropout. Now he's teaching at UCLA and raising awareness about disabilities. What is ASD? The breadth of associated traits is why someone with autism is diagnosed with one of three specific levels of severity — as recommended by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Level one autism, for example, includes diagnoses of what used to be called Asperger's syndrome, "but today just means you less obviously need support," says Jennifer Cook, a North Carolina-based autistic person who is the on-camera expert for Netflix's "Love on the Spectrum." When is ASD diagnosed? Autism is "most often diagnosed in childhood, usually by ages 2 to 4," says Kevin Pelphrey, a neuroscientist at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and the principal investigator of the NIH Autism Center for Excellence. He explains that some early signs of autism that may be recognized by pediatricians and specialists include delays in a child's speech, limited eye contact or repetitive behaviors. But autism is sometimes missed until someone is an adult because traits are benign or not as publicly associated with autism (such as in Andersen's case), because traits were overlooked or due to the individual growing up without access to autism-related evaluations. "I wasn't diagnosed until I was a mother with three kids," says Cook, "because I excelled academically as a child and grew up during a time when autism was really only looked for in boys." When autism is diagnosed in teens or adults, "it involves detailed developmental history, behavioral assessments and often self-reported experiences," Pelphrey says. At 17, she found out she was autistic. It's a story that's becoming more common. Here's why. How is autism best supported? Because traits and support levels vary widely, "no single approach fits all people with autism," says Banks. Andersen says autism should be thought of as "specific challenges we need to manage rather than the condition as a whole needing to be treated." For example, she says that something that can be hard for her is controlling her tone or differentiating tones in others. "Because I don't understand voice inflection well and can be tone deaf to myself, I can sound angry to others even when I'm not at all upset," she says. To help, she says she learned cognitive behavioral therapy techniques and benefited from forms of social integration therapy to assist her in better understanding voice inflection and body language in herself and others. "I pick up on social cues more easily now," she says. Some parents of autistic children and adults are in favor of efforts to "cure" the condition, including those who support Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who's vowed to find the cause of rising autism cases by September 2025. An exact cause has eluded the scientific community for decades, nor is there a consensus on the increase in autism rates, though scientists attribute it to more awareness and diagnoses. Autistic children can be supported by creating a structured learning and living environment, Lord says, "such as organized schedules and making sure a child knows what is going to happen next." Sensory objects such as headphones to minimize loud noises or the use of fidget toys can be useful for autistic children and adults alike, adds Cook. "With proper support," says Pelphrey, "people with autism can live incredible, fulfilling lives."
