This conference, organised by The National Autistic Society, is a response to increasing calls from parents and professionals for specific information about autism in women and girls, as well as from women with autism who feel it is important to highlight their specific needs and the differences between autism in men and women. 

The event aims to explore further the issues around the possible under-diagnosis of women and girls with autism.

Katie Bridges is a full time writer who lives in Vancouver, Washington. By full time writer, she means that she hardly ever stops writing! Whether she's working on a piece of fiction or composing a letter of encouragement to someone, she's often sitting at her computer typing away. If she wasn’t writing, she would be hiking, as she loves to be amongst nature. She also enjoys reading children's science books and is quite addicted! Katie owns a huge assortment she's collected over the years. In between writing, she spends time with her family, giving a great deal of care to her grandchildren who she has has a lot in common with. Together, they love to star gaze at night and talk about the latest scientific discoveries. To find out more about her life, visit: warriorsoftheedge.com 

The 10th annual Samsung Hope for Children event in New York featured former President Bill Clinton, Jennifer Lopez, Demi Moore and Dan Marino, but a Parkland teenager nonetheless stood out. 

Haley Moss, autistic but with artistic talent to burn, was honored with the Teen Hero award by Marino, who she is working with to raise funds for children with special needs. Other stars at the event took home some of her artworks as gifts while seven were auctioned off to raise money for charity. 

“The president gave a speech at the beginning of the event,” said Moss, 16. “He was holding my artwork the entire time. He spoke about it, how special it is. I walked the red carpet along with the celebrities and got to speak with pretty much everyone except the president. I also got interviewed a lot. Everything about the event was amazing."

When 11-year-old Christopher Charles designed his super zoo last week, the dinosaurs, dragons and gigantic bugs came to life with computer software that may one day help him find a job.

Thanks to free Google software called SketchUp, Christopher, who is autistic, created a three-dimensional zoo with the same tools used by architects, video game and theme park designers. He put himself in a cage, but reassured his parents the dinosaurs were herbivores. 

Now in its second year, iStar, a University of Utah program for high-functioning autistic kids, is unique in the nation. The software provides an outlet for their creativity and builds confidence, family members say. With sessions throughout the year, the camp creates a community of kid designers and new friends. 

Myth #1

Selective mutism is extremely rare

The most recent study showed a prevalence rate for Selective Mutism of 7.1 per 1,000 children (Bergman, 2002). Older surveys ranged from 0.08 %, or 0.8 per 1,000 (Fundudis, 1979 ), to 1.8 per 1,000 children (Browne, 1979). Variation may be due to the methods of surveying used, the age of the children in the sample population, or inadequate recognition of symptoms by parents, medical, and educational professionals. Lack of knowledge about selective mutism leads to many of these children being labeled as “just shy” or misdiagnosed as autistic, so that any reports of the number of cases are likely to be falsely low. 

To some, Autism Awareness Month might mean purchasing puzzle shaped cookies at local restaurants in order to support a cure for autism. For others, it might mean participating in walks, writing letters to legislators, screening an autism-focused movie, or connecting with community members to raise positive awareness. But there are many different kinds of awareness. When I polled several Autistic self-advocates by asking, "Do you feel anything is missing in the big picture of Autism Awareness? If so, what changes would you like to see?" this is what they had to say:

Alyson Bradley in Christchurch, New Zealand:

We need national recognition.  This is a hard question for me because I have autistic, mental and intellectual differences.