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Dr. Isaac Mawuko Adusu Named 2026 Community Leader of the Year for Advancing Disability Inclusion
Dr. Isaac Mawuko Adusu, a health and human services executive, disability advocate, and frequent contributor to Behavioral Health News and Autism Spectrum News, has been named the 2026 Community Leader of the Year by the Inclusive Leadership Impact Awards, recognizing his work to advance inclusion,...
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My Autistic Brother Nearly Died Waiting. Now They Want to Cut What Saved Him.
He stood over me and his companion Steve on the steps leading into the Senate building and prayed, "God, give me the words today." It was March 24, 2026, and my 30-year-old autistic brother Stephen was invited to Capitol Hill to meet with Congressional staffers and share his experience living with...
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A National Call to Action: Protecting Medicaid for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness and Autism
Take Note: Members of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce are drafting a budget which is highly likely to propose severe cuts to Medicaid. Whatever form those cuts take, they are likely to disproportionately harm people with disabilities, including people living with serious mental illness...
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Supporting Siblings of Children with Behavioral Needs
Behavioral health challenges continue to be a pervasive issue that impacts children and their families. According to the 2022-2023 National Survey of Children's Health, over 25% of children aged 3-17 were reported to have mental, emotional, developmental or behavioral problems. Commonly...
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Up, Up, and Aware: What Superman Can Teach Us About Mental Health
Chanukah came early for me this year with the release of James Gunn's Superman trailer. Superheroes have always soared through our imaginations, but lately, they’ve landed squarely in the world of mental wellness. As a rabbi, comic book aficionado (once called “New York’s Hippest Rabbi”...
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The Benefits of Robotics and AI for Children and Behavioral Health
As children grapple with increasing levels of anxiety and stress, teachers have struggled to cater to diverse learning needs in overcrowded classrooms, and clinicians are experiencing an overwhelming caseload. Robotics and artificial intelligence have the potential to transform child development in...
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Addressing Mental Health Challenges for Neurodivergent Youth
Youth mental health is a critically important topic that seems to be having a much-needed moment in the spotlight - like here in New York, where Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a $1 billion investment in a plan that may well transform the future of mental health in this state. Even Hollywood is...
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Overcoming Stigma to Create More Inclusive Communities
April is Autism Awareness Month and World Autism Day was April 2, 2023. These observances create important opportunities to break down existing biases and build more inclusive communities where all people are valued for their unique abilities. While greater awareness is needed to foster...
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From Blame to Burden and Beyond: Changing Perspectives on the Family and Behavioral Health
Over the past 40 years or so, there has been a dramatic shift in the views about the dynamics of families with mentally ill family members, a shift from blaming them to sympathizing with them for the burden they have to bear. 50 years ago, when I was learning to be a clinician, I was taught...
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How Autistic Individuals Taught Us to Teach
About ten years ago, one of our NYS ED/BPSS licensed instructors for Microsoft Excel Certification came to me. She was frustrated that more and more of her students weren’t paying attention; they didn’t look at her, fidgeted, kept turning their backs to her to play with their computers, etc....
