People with autism are still being held in “bare cells with hatches”, says a new report. The finding have emerged from a review into the care of people with learning disabilities or autism in long-term segregation (LTS). The report authors...

Cutting diagnosis waiting times and training school and college staff will be the focus of the UK Government’s new autism strategy. Care minister Helen Whately and children’s minister Vicky Ford launched the strategy. The ministers said this time the emphasis...

Long-term hospital stays should be banned for people with autism and learning disabilities. That’s the view of MPs on the UK’s Health and Social Care Committee. Committee chair Jeremy Hunt said it’s a “national shame” that ten years on from...

Shocking images of police restraining a handcuffed 12-year-old autistic boy in school have surfaced on social media. The child’s mother, Sharron Faiq, has posted a video of the incident on YouTube. The restraint took place at Dukeries Academy, Nottinghamshire, over...

Young learning-disabled adults suffer from over-medication with potentially harmful drugs, according to new research. The study found that doctors are three times more likely to prescribe young learning-disabled adults with a mix of drugs linked to long-term health problems. Dr...

Autistic people may find it difficult to identify facial expressions – particularly anger – in real-world situations. That’s according to new research by the University of Birmingham. Speed and intensity affects recognition The study found that the ability of autistic...

A campaigning mum has won cross-party support for her calls to reduce restraint in Northern Ireland’s special schools. Deidre Shakespeare is leading the fight for tougher rules in the province by campaigning for “Harry’s Law”. Shakespeare, from County Tyrone, has...

Almost five years after the death of autistic teen Oliver McGowan, the General Medical Council (GMC) has announced an investigation into the doctor who prescribed an antipsychotic that an inquest ruled was a “significant factor” in his death. Dr Monica...

The mum of an eight-year-old autistic boy has told of her battle to change the law so families who win tribunals get compensation. The 45-year-old single mum said disabled children are the last group left unprotected by compensation payments for...

A local authority has been told to pay compensation to a family for a delay in providing special needs education and support. The move sends a strong signal to other local authorities over meeting their special needs obligations. The compensation...