Shannon Des Roches Rosa is senior editor at Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism, parent to three ever-taller children, and a fan of her spouse’s work in public media science documentaries. She lives near San Francisco, California.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/1.jpg)
Shannon Des Roches Rosa
Managing editor
Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism
From this contributor
Clinicians must put more effort into autism-specific medical care
Without it, autistic adults with high support needs like my son are missing out on treatments that could reduce their suffering and improve their quality of life.
![Illustration of head in profile filled with swirls of color.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/DesRochasVP-844.jpg)
Clinicians must put more effort into autism-specific medical care
How to help autistic children cope with pandemic lockdowns
Sheltering in place is especially hard for autistic children who dread changes in routine and who may have learned to repress their ways of managing stress. Here are tips to help them cope.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/20200428-DesRochesRosa-844.jpg)
How to help autistic children cope with pandemic lockdowns
Autism meeting evolves to address needs of people on the spectrum
The annual meeting of International Society for Autism Research has aligned its offerings with the priorities of people with autism and their families.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/201805RosaVP1120.jpg)
Autism meeting evolves to address needs of people on the spectrum
A call to scientists to develop communication tools for autism
People with autism who speak few or no words need tools that can help them communicate. Scientists could make this happen.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/20161212-Communication1120.jpg)
A call to scientists to develop communication tools for autism
Before talking about autism, listen to families
Scientists should phrase their findings to be sensitive to the dignity and needs of people with autism.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/20160119NeedsofPeopleWithAutism-844.jpg)
Before talking about autism, listen to families
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![Research image of neurons in the fly’s ventral nerve cord.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/lede-motormodules-1200-1024x692.webp)
New connectomes fly beyond the brain
Researchers are mapping the neurons in Drosophila’s ventral nerve cord, where the central nervous system meets the rest of the body.
Building an autism research registry: Q&A with Tony Charman
A purpose-built database of participants who have shared genomic and behavioral data could give clinical trials a boost, Charman says.
![Illustration of researchers talking to laypeople amidst strands of DNA.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1200_Charman-1024x687.webp)
Building an autism research registry: Q&A with Tony Charman
A purpose-built database of participants who have shared genomic and behavioral data could give clinical trials a boost, Charman says.
Cerebellar circuit may convert expected pain relief into real thing
The newly identified circuit taps into the brain’s opioid system to provide a top-down form of pain relief.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/paincircuit-1200-1024x692.webp)
Cerebellar circuit may convert expected pain relief into real thing
The newly identified circuit taps into the brain’s opioid system to provide a top-down form of pain relief.