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Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Its Comorbidities as a Co-Occurring Health Issue in Autistic People
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) occurs in as many as 8% of autistic individuals with even a higher percentage that may have hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) (Cederlof et al., 2016, Kindgren et al., 2021). This estimate is low since EDS is more commonly diagnosed in females (Castori, 2012), who...
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Providing Primary Behavior Health Care Services to Autistic Clients: Is This an Exception or the New Rule for ABA Organizations?
It is well known, but not fully appreciated, that an ASD diagnosis triggers a tsunami of emotions within the family of the autistic individual. Many established ABA provider groups have realized that the needs of parents and siblings of ASD individuals should be tended to via an interdisciplinary...
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Diagnosing Depression in Autistic Individuals
This is the first of two articles about depression in people with autism. Part 2 is The Art and Science of Treating Depression in Autism. This article discusses topics that may be upsetting to some people. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free, confidential support 24/7 at 1...
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Beyond Baby Siblings: Why “Next Gen Sibs” Is Critical to Advancing Autism Research
In the late 1990s, evidence-based research made it clear that autism was heritable and younger siblings of kids with ASD were more likely to become diagnosed themselves. This was a tremendous breakthrough but led to further questions about how to better understand autism recurrence and features...
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Early Screening Tool Leads to Earlier Diagnosis and Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Since it debuted in 2011, the Get SET Early program, which provides pediatricians and parents with a relatively simple process to screen for indicators of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children as young as age 1, has steadily grown in use and validation. Early screening and identification of...
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An Interdisciplinary Model for Supporting Children with Autism and Their Families
An autistic child’s family is structured no different than that of neurotypical children. Families generally include parents and siblings with their own perspectives and issues. In the wake of substantial empirical support for the effectiveness of applied behavior analysis (ABA) interventions for...
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Autism Education: What More Do School Districts and Parents Need to Do?
If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a country to provide lifelong supports for someone with autism. Parents, school districts, and local, state and federal governments need to collaborate to ensure that individuals on the autism spectrum are provided with programs designed to meet...
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Uniquely Human Podcast #4 – Autism and Quality of Life with Becca Lory Hector
Episode 4 - Autism at Quality of Life with Becca Lory Hector [su_button url="https://uniquelyhuman.com/2020/11/06/autism-and-improving-quality-of-life/" style="flat" background="#1f2656" color="#ffffff" size="4" radius="0" icon="icon: music"]Listen to the Podcast![/su_button] [su_spacer...
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Programming for Multiple Siblings with ASD: Tips to Promote Family Success
Current data suggest that if a family has one child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the chance their second child will also have that diagnosis is 2-18% (Autism Speaks, 2020). If the family has two or more children with ASD, the risk their next child will also have ASD increases to 30% (The...
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How a Sibling Connection Inspired Advocacy and a Career
When I was nine years old, I became an advocate. We were out in public and a woman chastised my mom for being unable to control my younger brother, Joey. My blood started to boil and I was outraged by this woman’s lack of empathy. However, my mom handled the situation with poise and grace,...
