The news that the UW Autism Center is getting a new director, Wendy Stone--who wrote the book on autism (the one titled Does My Child Have Autism?)--provoked just two comments on the Seattle Times story, one of which says, "So many of their good providers have already left and joined the Seattle Children's Autism Center." We didn't know Children's had an autism center. (Actually, neither does Children's--if you do a search for "autism center" at the Children's site, they reference the UW Autism Center.) So what gives? Anyone know if there's really that much of a difference? more ›

Today lot of people who don't spend much time wondering what other people think about them would be feeling pretty proud if they did because the Washington state House and Senate have both adopted resolutions "honoring individuals with autism" (HB 4627, SB 8629). more ›

This is fascinating, and thanks to the Big Blog's Scott Sunde for bringing it up: UW researchers have discovered that people with autism have a more intense response to looking at faces than the average Joe. The more social impairment, in fact, the more intense the response to someone's face. more ›

SIFF just opened a week-long showing of the Belgian film Ben X--it runs through March 5. It's a first film from Nic Balthazar, who wrote the novel the movie is based on. The thing about Ben X is that while its hero (played by Greg Timmermans) has Asperger's, it succeeds in stabbing in the guts pretty much anyone who suffered any high school ostracism and bullying. Asperger's just ups the insecurity stakes, because Ben can't tell easily who's a friend and who's not, what's normal and what's not. We spent most of our free time in the library freshman year, but no one tips Ben off to that safe haven. more ›

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