AMC Theatres are a great example to other corporates in providing an opportunity for families affected by autism to enjoy the kinds of entertainment others take for granted. AMC is the second largest movie theater chain in North America with 5,325 screens and 21,000 employees. Their Sensory Friendly Films provide families affected by autism [...]
Check this little guy out. His name is Kaspar. Those of us from Generation X might immediately think of a friendly ghost, but in fact Kaspar is a playful child size humanoid robot with a face inspired by comics and Japanese Noh theatre, no less. But more importantly, he is being used to help [...]
Not many people with a child on the autistic spectrum embark on a mission to change the world in the way that Thorkil Sonne did. In 2004, Mr Sonne set up a company in his native Denmark staffed almost entirely by folk on the autistic spectrum. That company – Specialisterne – has employed 155 [...]
Gary McKinnon faces the latest in a long series of court hearings on 25 and 26 May – three weeks after the UK general election. Protest activity in different forms continues across the United Kingdom in support of Gary. Gary has Asperger’s syndrome – and he faces extradition to the US after admitting to hacking [...]
The My Friend Quest Pilot Clinical Study is nearing completion. This study includes children aged between five and 13 – and with an existing diagnosis of either High Functioning Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome. This research commenced in September 2009 – and has involved pre and post psychometric testing with scheduled use of MyFriendQuest for the duration of the research. [...]
Publication of the fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) is still three years away in May 2013 – but the proposed draft revisions were released for public comment on Friday. It has hardly been a well-kept secret that the 600-or-so reviewers from around the globe would propose that Asperger’s syndrome be eliminated as [...]
The situation for Asperger’s computer hacker Gary McKinnon took a turn for the better yesterday with the UK High Court concluded that extraditing Gary to the USA to face charges there may be a breach of his human rights. Gary McKinnon would face a prison sentence of up to sixty years if extradited to the [...]
Good luck for tomorrow, Gary McKinnon! At last count a couple of minutes ago, the “Save Gary McKinnon from Extradition” Facebook Page had a whopping 693,733 members. That’s a lot of people who feel strongly about the prospect of a man with Asperger’s Syndrome being extradited from the UK to the USA for allegedly hacking into into [...]
Flux Animation Studios in Grey Lynn, Auckland were responsible for the creation of the MyFriendQuest game application and the animated prologue and epilogue to the BrightMind LABS brief. Children and parents who have downloaded and used MyFriendQuest almost universally agree that Flux have done a fantastic job bringing this project to fruition. Here is a very cool trailer [...]
There is a lot of great work being done around the world showing how effective animals can be in helping kids with autism. The benefits to kids on the spectrum from being around animals are well documented – from providing comfort to improving social interactions and relationships.
"I wish there had been something like MyFriendQuest available when I was a kid!
