A.J. Drexel Autism Institute Receives $3.6 Million Gift to Launch Life Course Outcomes Research Initiatives The A.J. Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University has received a grant of $3.6 million from an anonymous donor to launch four major initiatives of its Life Course Outcomes research program, focused on understanding and improving quality of life issues for people on the autism spectrum at all ages. This program is led by Autism Institute professor Paul Shattuck, PhD, a nationally recognized expert on these issues. Click here to read the full story
Read MoreDay: September 9, 2018
The Benefits Of Employing People With Autism
Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Not a term that rolls off the tongue easily but increasingly big corporations such as Microsoft and SAP have launched programs to attract candidates with ASD for roles which require certain skill sets. ASD is the name for a range of conditions that affect the way a person sees the world, processes information and interacts with people. The term covers high-functioning autism such as Asperger’s. Under-employment is high among autistic adults. Only 14% of adults with autism held paid jobs in their communities, according to the National…
Read MoreChocolate Spectrum Cafe offers training to adults, teens with autism
Jupiter’s Chocolate Spectrum Cafe and Academy offers training to adults, teens with autism. The Chocolate Spectrum Café and Academy is a groundbreaking enterprise, offering adults and teens with Autism and other developmental disabilities the chance to learn a unique skill and be involved in a lifelong, purposeful experience. The company, founded by Valerie Herskowitz in 2013, trains program participants to make gourmet chocolates and pastries, as well as learning how to be café baristas. In some cases, graduates of the Adult Training Program are employed by The Chocolate Spectrum,…
Read MoreStartup Touts Unique Talent Pool: Workers with Autism
Tech startup Daivergent connects contractors on the autism spectrum with clients in need of their skill sets. Alexis Prendergast, a Brooklyn 25-year-old who has autism spectrum disorder, is the first to admit there are skills she hasn’t mastered. “Mostly it’s social stuff. I miss some cues,” she says. Her wiring also lends unusual strengths, like an ability to focus for long stretches on tasks requiring great attention to detail. Happily, she found an employer looking for someone just like her. The full story can be found here
Read MoreNew biomarker panel could accelerate autism diagnoses
Investigators have identified a group of blood metabolites that could help detect some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These findings are a key step toward developing an ASD biomarker test. Investigators at the UC Davis MIND Institute and NeuroPointDX, a division of Stemina Biomarker Discovery, have identified a group of blood metabolites that could help detect some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Part of the Children’s Autism Metabolome Project (CAMP), the largest metabolomic ASD study ever attempted, these findings are a key step toward developing an ASD biomarker…
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