News round-up: autism, schooling and bullying; disability cuts protest hits London

Louis Theroux in Extreme Love: Autism

Autism has been making the headlines over the past week, in both positive and tragic ways. There's been a lot of press interest in a new documentary by Louis Theroux, shown on BBC Two on Thursday 19 April and now available on iPlayer, in which he visited one of America's best schools for children with autism and got a glimpse of what life is like for the students and their families. Sadly, back in the UK, an inquest into the suicide of an autistic Suffolk teenager has been told that Gareth Oates, 18, was routinely bullied and that his mother had struggled to get appropriate medical intervention for her son's suicidal condition.

Meanwhile, Wednesday 18 April saw the latest direct action protest by disabled people against welfare cuts. The demonstration, organised by Disabled People Against the Cuts (DPAC), involved about 100 protestors and brought traffic to a halt in London's Trafalgar Square as wheelchair users chained themselves together across a busy junction.

More of the week's headlines

Louis Theroux on autism: A very different sort of school (BBC News, Thursday 19 April)

Support for carers must be central to social care white paper (The Guardian, Thursday 19 April)

London 2012 Paralympics: Murderball's men of steel left me sweating and scared (The Telegraph, Thursday 19 April)

Louis Theroux: making a documentary about children with autism was 'a baptism by fire' (The Telegraph, Thursday 19 April)

Disability rights protesters bring Trafalgar Square traffic to a standstill (The Guardian, Wednesday 18 April)

Severe abuse in childhood may treble risk of schizophrenia (The Guardian, Wednesday 18 April)

Disabled can rate tourist venues in Northern Ireland (BBC News, Wednesday 18 April)

'Blind' mice eyesight treated with transplanted cells (BBC News, Wednesday 18 April)

Protesters prepare to fight disability living allowance cuts (The Guardian, Wednesday 18 April)

Deaf rapper gives flash mob performance (BBC News, Wednesday 18 April)

Autistic Suffolk boy who killed himself 'was bullied' (BBC News, Tuesday 17 April)

Black and minority ethnic mental health patients 'marginalised' under coalition (The Guardian, Tuesday 17 April)

Price comparison sites: why disabled or older people struggle to go compare (The Guardian, Tuesday 17 April)

Travel challenge marks Disability Wales' 40th anniversary (BBC News, Tuesday 17 April)

The most cynical TV show I've ever seen: The father of an autistic teenager attacks Ricky Gervais' new comedy (Daily Mail, Monday 16 April)

Meet Simon Wheatcroft, the blind ultramarathon runner (The Guardian, Monday 16 April)

Disabled man campaigns for Northern Rail scooter access (BBC News, Monday 16 April)

Disability Living Allowance changes and cost-cutting (BBC News, Monday 16 April)

What autism can teach us about psychoanalysis (The Guardian, Monday 16 April)

Hope for depression sufferers as new treatment cures illness by inserting electrodes into patients' brains (Daily Mail, Sunday 15 April)

The dashing blade: Oscar Pistorius, accidental track hero (The Independent, Saturday 14 April)

England manager teaches Berkshire's blind footballers new skills (BBC News, Saturday 14 April)

Police officers' mental health 'affected by forced retirement' (BBC News, Saturday 14 April)

Thief returns service dog he snatched from disabled blind girl, five (Daily Mail, Saturday 14 April)

GP alert over rise in male anorexia (Daily Mail, Saturday 14 April)

Walking could be a useful tool in treating depression (BBC News, Friday 13 April)

California's mentally ill people need early diagnosis, not forced treatment (The Guardian, Friday 13 April)

Down's Syndrome trolling: Charity wants positive images (BBC News, Friday 13 April)

Paying tribute to the man who started the Paralympic Games (BBC News, Friday 13 April)

London mayoral election: Disabled people talk of transport pain (BBC News, Thursday 12 April)

London 2012: Travelling Paralympic exhibition opens (BBC News, Thursday 12 April)