Debate

"How do I tell you I'm autistic?" is a common question people ask themselves, having received a diagnosis. "How should I respond?" is an internal dilemma that sometimes runs through the mind of individuals when someone they know shares their condition with them. Here we consider these questions and more.

The use of drugs like stimulants, anti-depressants, and anti-psychotics has been increasing with children for several decades across the world. But how far do schools force or pressurise parents into medicating? Darren Devine reports.

Studies have revealed symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in around two thirds of autistic people. But are autism and ADHD symptoms of the same underlying condition? Academic Dr Simon Bignell has questioned whether autism and ADHD may be “one overarching disorder with a range of subtypes”

When the team behind the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 5 redefined Asperger's Syndrome as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in 2013, it would spark a conflict that continues to rage. Here, Darren Devine speaks to one of the psychiatrists behind the controversial move.

Many people with autism and learning disabilities are being overlooked by research. Charities, researchers, and campaigners say current studies are skewed towards the more able end of the spectrum, which can leave the most severely impacted excluded. 

Darren Devine discusses how moving people from hospitals to community settings can be antithetical to the spirit of transforming care.