People on the autism spectrum visit emergency departments far more often than the typical person, and their care is typically inefficient and often ineffective. A trip to the Emergency Department (ED) isn’t fun for anyone, but it can be especially difficult for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
People on the autism spectrum visit emergency departments far more often than the average person and usually get worse service and outcomes.
Individuals with autism are largely given the same treatment as everyone else despite their sensory and perceptual differences, which typically leads to predictably bad outcomes for both the patients and the Emergency Departments, potentially endangering lives.
Pixar will introduce a nonverbal autistic character in an upcoming short film. This will available to on Disney+ platform.
In celebration of the launch of Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+, Pixar created a series of six new short films called SparkShorts. One of these, which has yet to be released, is titled “Loop.” According to Pixar, the film follows “a non-verbal, autistic girl and a chatty boy [who] are partnered on a canoeing trip. To complete their journey across an urban lake, they must both learn how the other experiences the world.”
For a long time, individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) had been misunderstood and stigmatized. This type of societal response didn’t provide any support or solutions for people with ASD and their families.
However, with developments in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, and related scientific fields, ASD came to be understood much better, and corresponding therapies have been introduced. With the emergence of technological innovations such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), individuals with ASD have a better chance of increasing their capacity for learning and developing the skills necessary to navigate the complexities of adult life. In this paper, we present an overview of the role of VR and AR technology in the development of cognitive, communication, and social skills among children with ASD.
The Thibault family at Rio Secreto, Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, 2017. From left, Chris, Sebastian, Tristan, Emerson and Nicole Thibault.Credit via Thibault family
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When Nicole Thibault had her first child, she imagined traveling everywhere with him. But by age 2, he would become upset by simply passing a restaurant that smelled of garlic. Waiting in line elicited tantrums and crowded places overwhelmed him. Autism was diagnosed within the year.
“I thought maybe our family dream of travel wouldn’t happen,” said Ms. Thibault, 46, of Fairport, N.Y., who now has three children. But she spent the next three years learning to prepare her son for travel by watching videos of future destinations and attractions so that he would know what to expect. The preparation helped enable him, now 14 and well-traveled, to enjoy adventures as challenging as exploring caves in Mexico. It also encouraged Ms. Thibault to launch a business, Magical Storybook Travels, planning travel for families with special needs.
Now the travel industry is catching up to the family. A growing number of theme parks, special attractions and hotels are introducing autism training and sensory guides that highlight triggers, providing resources in times of need and assuring families they won’t be judged.
In West Liberty, Iowa, first responders recently completed autism training, stemming from an incident where a child with autism escaped from his home and went to the public pool.
As a nonverbal child, he has trouble communicating with people and they can have trouble communicating with him. This means that being around water can be especially dangerous.
This article, and many others, demonstrate the need for nationwide autism training for first responders. IBCCES offers online training specifically designed for law enforcement and first responders that has already been implemented in numerous departments across the US.
