Peer support for parents of teens and young adults coping with mental health issues.
AUTISM
Article: Results of a Stanford Study Reveals Kids with Autism Show Less Brain Flexibility
This article presents the results of a Stanford University, published in the July 29 (2017?) issue of the journal, Cerebral Cortex.
Here are actual excerpts from the article:
Children with autism have more trouble switching gears between resting and performing tasks than children without the disorder, leading Stanford researchers to believe their brains are less flexible than the brains of healthy children.
In a recent study, the researchers performed functional magnetic resonance imaging on the brains of children with and without autism. They measured areas of the brain that are involved in making decisions, taking on social tasks and analyzing events. The children underwent imaging while they were at rest, doing simple math problems or trying to distinguish faces.
Children with autism distinguished between faces and solved math problems as well as normally developing children. But images showed that their brains had more problems switching between rest and performing tasks.
Brain connectivity changed less between rest and activity in kids with autism than it did in other children. The degree of brain inflexibility was also correlated with the degree to which a child had restrictive and repetitive behaviors.
Gifted Teens With Autism Connect With Like-Minded Kids At Math And Science Camp
The University of Iowa is working to include teens on the autism spectrum in its programs for gifted students.
October 16, 2019
Heard on NPR's All Things Considered
Article: The Educational Tyranny of the Neurotypicals
Published in the 9/6/18 edition of the on-line "Wired." Authored by Joi Ito, the article discusses the issue of "Neurotypical" conditions, including Autism, and suggests that even the broad notion of education may be outdated, and we need a completely new approach to empower learning.
Website: Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Association
The Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Association website offers some great resources for those with higher functioning autism. Provides a list of summer programs and day camps in New York, as well as useful questions to ask when choosing a camp or summer program for your special needs child.
Book: “The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism and Asperger's"
Book: “NeuroTribes”