Hongkongers told to learn basic sign language to help city get the best from its deaf residents
She was consequently forced to acquire most of her knowledge by lip-reading. On the side, using her own slang of hand signs and facial expressions, she learned to fingerspell almost every word in the dictionary. “We were not allowed to sign because the teachers wanted us to get used to speech reading, but my classmates […]
My 8-year-old, the computer prodigy – and why we moved him to Melbourne
When he was younger, Seth Yee was a real handful in childcare – his parents kept getting complaints about his out-of-control tantrums in class. “The feedback from the teachers was that he already understood what they were teaching and he was just distracting the other kids,” recounted his father Mr Ray Yee. “Having to sit […]
Researchers pinpoint gene responsible for neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism
A study led by researchers at McMaster University has pinpointed a gene that is responsible for neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. Researchers found alterations of the gene thousand and one amino-acid kinase 2, known as TAOK2, plays a direct role in these disorders. This is the first comprehensive study that supports previous research suggesting the involvement […]
Study testing first medication to treat symptoms of autism
Children and teenagers with autism face challenges every day fitting in with friends, classmates and others in the world around them. “My perspective is that people with autism are different, just like every other human being — unique, one of a kind,” said Dr. Roger Jou, a psychiatrist at the Yale Child Study Center who […]
Why Is the Autistic Unemployment Rate So High?
In the United States, thirty-five percent of Autistic eighteen-year-olds go to college. Of those American Autistics with university diplomas, only 15 percent are employed. This 85 percent unemployment rate (among college-educated Autistic adults) is massive—the general population’s unemployment rate (at all education levels) is only 4.5 percent. There are some obvious reasons for this disparity. […]
Changing how Singaporeans talk about disability, one word at a time
Wheelchair-bound, deaf-mute, retarded — these are words that one non-profit organisation has been fighting to remove from the public lexicon for the last few years as they perpetuate negative connotations of persons with disabilities. Terms like “suffers from” and “afflicted with” are similarly targeted by the Disabled People’s Association (DPA) as they imply the person […]
What The Neurodiversity Movement Gets Wrong About Autism
Autistic people might actually have some advantages if it weren’t for the stigma. Many of us have a unique objective edge that makes us great at math, science, and music. Yes, we have to endure a lot of social challenges. But if people were to look past that, we could use our talents to make […]
Public speaking firm hires only trainers with disabilities
For 22 years, Mr Steve Tee had no problems seeing clearly. But that changed in 2004 when he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare disease which starts with partial loss of vision and eventually leads to total or near-total blindness. “It started with night blindness,” the 36-year-old told The Straits Times. “As time passed, […]
Rude and cold? Hong Kong’s cruel myths about autism go against ideal of inclusive society
Some psychologists in Hong Kong have suggested that people with autism have difficulties making friends and will tend to talk only about their interests, because they lack empathy and do not consider the feelings and thoughts of others. This is a misstatement. The claim that autistic people lack empathy has been challenged by leading autism […]
Autism blood discovery promises earlier tests and treatment
Scientists have discovered evidence of autism in the blood of affected children in a breakthrough that promises earlier testing and treatment for the condition. A team at Warwick University found that those suffering from the developmental disorder were more likely to have damaged blood proteins. Affecting around one in every 100 people in the UK, […]
