As we welcome the holiday season, we at Autism Speaks would like to
wish you a happy and healthy end of the year! Thank you for your
gracious support of our mission to promote solutions, across the
spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals
with autism and their families. With your help, we are working to
ensure that every person with autism has the support and resources
they need to reach their full potential.

Increasing global understanding and acceptance of people with autism

Autism Speaks is now on Flipgrid!

Autism Speaks has expanded our education resources into classrooms
across the world by joining the Flipgrid platform. Flipgrid is an
online tool used by teachers worldwide to facilitate video discussions
with a network of 100 million students. Our lesson plans on empathy
and emotional learning feature profiles of our autistic community
members alongside meaningful discussion questions to grow
students' understanding and acceptance of people with autism.
Sign up today to view our lesson plans and join the conversation: [link removed]

Autism Speaks podcast uplifts the voices of autistic adults

In the new episode of our "Adulting on the Spectrum" podcast, hosts
Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb speak with autistic advocate Vanessa
Castañeda Gill. Vanessa is the founder of Social Cipher, a social emotional learning platform that connects neurodivergent
youth and their advocates, counselors, teachers and mental health
professionals in an immersive virtual world. Listen to the episode or
read the transcript here: [link removed]

Being a catalyst for life-enhancing research breakthroughs

Autism Speaks calls for greater investment in research and services
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently
released a report showing an increase in autism prevalence among
children in the U.S., from 1 in 54 in 2016 to 1 in 44 in 2018. This
24% increase in two years has renewed our efforts to advocate for
government investments in research and services for people with
autism. Autism Speaks is calling on Congress and executive branch
agencies to invest in critical community issues, such as racial and
ethnic disparities, co-occurring medical conditions and challenges
across the lifespan. Learn more: [link removed]

Increasing early childhood screening and timely interventions

New series on navigating an autism diagnosis

This November, Autism Speaks hosted a two-part virtual series
designed for autistic people, families, care providers and anyone
seeking information on how to best navigate a new autism diagnosis.
Participants heard from parents, topic experts, self-advocates and
others sharing their personal experiences and expertise. Click here to
view a recording of part one, targeted to families of young and school age children. Click here to view a recording of part two, targeted to young adults and adults: [link removed]

WHO Caregiver Skills Training shows promising results in Italy

A new study published this October in the Journal of Autism and
Developmental Disorders and supported in part by Autism Speaks, offers evidence that the World Health Organization (WHO) Caregiver Skills Training (CST)
program can help parents improve their skills and better engage with
their autistic children. This has the potential to improve health
outcomes of children with autism by enhancing their interactions with
their parents at home rather than relying solely on clinical services.
Learn more about the results: [link removed]

Improving the transition to adulthood

Research highlights the importance of vocational activities for adults
with autism

A study recently published in Autism Research, and supported in part by Autism Speaks, shows that vocational
activities like employment, volunteer work and post-secondary
education are associated with higher well-being and quality of life
among young adults with autism. These findings highlight the
importance of early, targeted employment services among transition-age
youth, and the need for more programs to support young adults in the
transition to independent activities. Learn more: [link removed]

New study on the sexual health and activity of autistic adults and
adolescents

New research published this autumn in Autism Research
, and supported in part by Autism Speaks, reveals significant
differences in sexual orientation and activity between autistic and
non-autistic people across the lifespan. As the largest study on the
sexuality of autistic adolescents and adults, these results may have
important implications on sex education and healthcare in the autistic
community. Learn more: [link removed]

Ensuring access to reliable information and services throughout the
lifespan

U.S. House passes historic investment in home and community-based
services

On November 19, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed $150
billion in home and community-based services (HCBS)
as a part of the Build Back Better Act. This historic increase in
funding came after months of advocacy from Autism Speaks, during which
congressional offices received 14,000 support letters from autistic
individuals, their families, and many others across the disability
community and country. Now we need the U.S. Senate to maintain the
hard-fought wins that passed the House. Contact your senators and ask
for their support today: [link removed]


Autism Speaks amplifies its efforts to make resources diverse and
accessible

Since April 2021, Autism Speaks has made huge strides in our
diversity, equity, access and inclusion efforts. We are committed to
serving everyone with autism and their families-inclusive of all
abilities, ages, races, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual
orientations, socioeconomic status and belief systems-by
improving the representation of this diverse community in our content,
expanding the reach of our resources and increasing inclusive
practices in our workplace. Read about our DEAI progress this year: [link removed]




Autism Speaks | 1060 State Road 2nd Floor | Princeton, NJ
08540
© 2021 Autism Speaks Inc.

Autism Speaks and Autism Speaks Design are registered trademarks
owned by Autism Speaks Inc. All rights reserved.







[link removed]