It’s not just a boy thing Autism in girls can be harder to spot and that might mean that the statistics under-represent females on the autism spectrum. Is autism the same for both sexes? Take a look at this article from the Independent

Who nose? Can a nasal spray alleviate some of the difficulties experienced by people with autism? Oxytocin, the ‘bonding’ hormone, is at the centre of a new piece of peer reviewed research. It seems that after inhaling the hormone participants were deemed to be more socially appropriate. But can a nasal spray really teach social skills? More

Times up for Asperger diagnosis It looks increasingly likely that Asperger’s disorder will disappear from the diagnostic manual of the American Psychiatric Association. In the future a person who shows the Asperger type pattern of characteristics should now meet criteria for ‘ASD’ More

Parent programme works Through the use of instructional DVDs, parents of children with autism can learn to support the development of positive behaviour and communication skills according to research published in the January 2010 issue of The Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions

Animal ‘healing’ There are numerous examples of a therapeutic relationship between children with autism and dogs, horses etc. Some autism experts are sceptical and others show concern. Take a look at one of the latest stories to emerge. More

Take me to your leader! What kind of leader would you make? Autism services need a high level of consistency in terms of the ‘person’ environment. Try our survey and maybe attend our event on autism and teamwork in Leeds Survey

Doing it for ourselves The MAIN Page is an exciting new social enterprise. It’s an online book store that has been designed and developed with input from people with Autism and their families. Browse