This month, AIR-P celebrated Autism Acceptance Month with two webinar presentations! We held a back-to-back webinar session as follows. 12-1pm PT / 3-4pm ET: The Intersection of Autism, Health, Poverty and Racial Equity (2022 National Autism Indicators Report (NAIR)). This presentation will be provided by Dr. Lindsay Shea and Dr. Kristy Anderson from Drexel Autism Institute. 1-2pm PT / 4-5pm ET: Why Studying Puberty in Autism Research Matters. This presentation will be provided by Dr. Jenny Mai Phan, postdoctoral fellow at University of Wisconsin Madison.

Join us for a practical legal discussion tailored for the autism community on the protections offered by mental health parity laws. Learn what insurance practices are prohibited and what you should do if you encounter such prohibited practices.

Suicide is a leading cause of death in autistic people. Autistic people have significantly higher rates of suicidal thoughts, suicidal behaviors, and deaths by suicide than the general public. Warning signs of imminent suicidal behavior in the general public do not represent the unique needs of the autism community. Misunderstanding a suicide warning sign in an autistic individual can have devastating consequences. The presenters will describe warning signs of suicide for autistic people based on the latest research findings and expert consensus. They will also share information about crisis supports for this population.

In this webinar, Dr. Kristen Choi will discuss emerging evidence on using telehealth to deliver therapy to children with autism spectrum disorder (e.g., speech therapy, occupational therapy, applied behavior analysis). Using data from a recent survey of parents in Southern California, the mental health impact of the pandemic on parents and their children will be discussed, as well as how COVID-related stress affected perceptions of telehealth.

In this webinar, Dr. Christine Wu Nordahl will provided an overview of current research focused on understanding autism in girls and women. Topics included biological and clinical theories about: -the difference in the sex ratio of autism -current insights into neurobiological sex differences in autism -unique challenges faced by autistic girls and women

This webinar will be presented by Dr. Dora Raymaker, on the following topics: -An overview of systems approaches to inquiry, including systems thinking and action research -An overview of relevant concepts and methodologies within these approaches, including leverage, generative causality, system dynamics, and critical systems heuristics -Using leverage to identify how to create to long-term change through intervention -Real-world examples of using systems approaches within autism employment research and public health

This virtual, semi-annual event is an opportunity to highlight innovative life course intervention research  supported by the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P).

The urgency for sensory considerations in clinics has never been more pressing as clinical services transition from remote to in-person. Dr. Nunez will present strategies to create sensory inclusive clinical spaces for patients of all ages. The webinar will focus on outpatient clinical care and methods to support patients that will benefit from sensory considerations in medical care.

This in-person, semi-annual event is an opportunity to highlight innovative life course intervention research  supported by the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P). This event is part of the AUCD 2022 Conference.

Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are prevalent in autistic individuals, but little is known about them in autistic adults. "G.I Wanna Talk About Autism" is a mixed-methods, participatory research study with the goal of 1) describing the lived experiences of autistic adults with GI symptoms, and 2) developing recommendations to improve the GI health of this population. Join this webinar to learn about the study's activities and preliminary findings.

AUCD's Autism Special Interest Group (SIG) is sponsoring a series of webinars for Autism Acceptance Month. This webinar series will focus on mentorship and leadership in the Autism Spectrum community.

In this webinar, Zack Williams will discuss the different types of sound sensitivity that exist in autistic people and present new research findings on the manifestations, clinical correlates, and neural/perceptual underpinnings of these sometimes debilitating conditions.

In this webinar Dr. Heini Natri will discuss the topic that equitable and just genetic research requires an examination of the ethical questions pertaining to marginalized communities. Many have expressed concerns over current practices of autism-related genetic research, urging the field to shift towards practices that ensure benefits and protect against harm. As an interdisciplinary working group of autistic and non-autistic individuals, we have developed guidelines for leveraging genetics to enhance the quality of life, health, and autonomy of autistic persons.

AIR-P is glad to announce a date for the rescheduled webinar: Mind the NIH-Funding Gap: Structural Discrimination in Physical Health-Related Research for Cognitively Able Autistic Adults. Topics will include: Importance of addressing physical health disparity conditions in autistic adults Structural discrimination in NIH-funded studies on physical health disparity conditions in autistic adults Description of conflicts of interest within an NIH-funded culture of academia that contribute to systemic structural discrimination in funding policies.