5 news items this week
A study in the journal Autism (McKinnon et al.) shows statistically what many autistic adults already knew: camouflage and social anxiety are distinct constructs. Anxiety is an emotion. Masking is a cognitively demanding, full-time operation you have been running your entire life — and the anxiety is a consequence, not the cause.
Researchers at Radboud University found that autistic adults initially adapt their language to children just as effectively as non-autistic people. The difference lies in mid-conversation adjustment: neurotypical participants continuously fine-tune based on new cues, while autistic participants tend to stick with their initial approach.
Researchers at Bournemouth University analysed over 4,000 responses from autistic people with suicidal thoughts. Their conclusion: those missed in childhood still need timely, careful diagnosis. Autistic people face three times the suicide risk compared to non-autistic people.
RFK Jr. claims 1 in 31 children are 'disabled by autism' and will never hold a job or use a toilet independently. Science-Based Medicine explains why that is nonsense: he conflates numbers for the entire autism spectrum with those of the 26.7% who have severe intellectual disabilities. The remaining 73% live independently.
A review article explains why many adults feel their autism is getting worse. Research shows core traits remain stable or improve over time. What changes: expectations rise, support falls away, and years of masking take their toll. The problem is not you — it is the environment demanding more and more.
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