Sahara Care Blog

Pupils at specialist autism academy achieve top marks

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Students from a school for young people with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum are celebrating after achieving top grades in their exams.

Twelve pupils from LVS Oxford achieved Level 1 awards across a range of BTEC vocations offered at the school.

The school seeks to provide its pupils with the skills and academic achievements needed to live independently in adult life.

The news comes after a study revealed that more than half of adults with autism lack a paying job, while one quarter go without assistance with job placements.

Louisa Allison-Bergin, Head of School at LVS Oxford, said: “LVS Oxford gives students with autism the skills they need to live independently as adults. We achieve this through a broad range of academic options, such as GCSEs, A-levels and BTECs, and are delighted that our learners have done so well and thrived during their BTEC courses.”

A number of the students combined their studies with work experience placements, with some students taking on customer-facing roles at Blenheim Palace.

Ms Allison-Bergin added: “Our additional commitment to work experience – allowing them to gain experience in careers they are interested in and develop their CVs – and growing their confidence in dealing with social situations – all combines to ensure our learners go on to have bright futures.”

Around 700,000 people are on the autism spectrum in the UK, around one in every 100 people.

Vegetarians “twice as likely to suffer depression” than carnivorous peers, says study

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Vegetarians and those who choose to eat less meat are at a higher risk of depression than their carnivorous peers, the Daily Mail has reported.

Scientists argue that giving up treats such as chicken and steak in favour for “less tasty” food makes people miserable, impacting overall mental health.

Not eating meat may also lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, they added.

The Bristol University, which published the research, studied the diets of almost 10,000 men in the south west of England.

It found that those who gave up meat were almost twice as likely to suffer depression as those on a conventional balanced diet.

A veggie diet led to lower intake of vitamin B12 and greater consumption of nuts rich omega-6 fatty acids, which are reported to increase the risk of mental health problems.

“‘Other potential factors include high blood levels of phytoestrogens – consequent mainly on diets rich in vegetables and soya. Another potential contributing factor is that lower intakes of seafood are thought to be associated with greater risk of depressive symptoms,” the research said.

Just over half of vegans and seven per cent of vegetarians were found to be deficient in vitamin B12, while those who had been vegetarian for longer showed a trend towards higher depression scores over time.