Los Angeles Times

At least a dozen major studies have found that early childhood vaccines do not cause autism. But one possibility remained: that immunizations could cause autism in a small group of children who were already primed to develop the disorder. Read more.

The Disability and Abuse project has published a new essay that many will find interesting. It focuses on the social rights of adults with developmental disabilities.

The essay refers to Gregory’s Case as a specific example of how the First Amendment rights of people with I/DD are infringed by judges in adult guardianship cases. Read more.

Los Angeles Times

A comprehensive study of European adults has found that compared with people who drink a single sugar-sweetened drink daily, those who drink water, coffee or tea instead are at 14% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Read More.

Bringing disabled and non-disabled children together in a welcoming venue can make the richness of the arts accessible to all, says Nicky Goulder, co-founder and CEO of Create.

Young people face many barriers that can hinder their access to the arts and culture, such as a lack of family support, a low-income background, preconceptions of what the arts are and who they are for, as well as an individual’s concept of identity. Read more.

Where can a blind child, a child in a wheelchair, a sister with autism or brother with Down syndrome play with other families equally, and be part of their community? The Magical Bridge Playground.

In Palo Alto, the most innovative and inclusive–and expensive– playground in the country opened on Saturday. It’s a wonderland for young and old alike where there are no barriers to fun. Read more.

Author David A. Seaton is bringing light to April’s Autism Awareness Month through his book, “The Mystery of Jack.”

“The current rate of autism is 1 out of 68 children according to the Center of Disease Control,” Seaton said. “Needless to say, many families within our community are impacted.”

Seaton, 48, wrote the book after dealing with the reality that his own son Jackson, now 14, was diagnosed with autism. Read more.

FONTANA >> Research conducted using medical records of 322,000 children born at Kaiser Permanente Hospitals in Southern California shows that diabetes in early pregnancy will increase a child’s risk for developing autism.

The findings were published in this week’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Read more.