News – Page 3 – Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre

The story of Autism research in Australia: A conversation…

Cheryl Dissanayake is a professor at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, and the Olga Tennison Endowed Chair in Autism Research at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Center. She has been researching autism since 1984. Spectrum spoke with her about her path to autism science, the history of the field in Australia, and the importance of Melbourne hosting the 2024 INSAR annual conference, which Dissanayake will chair. In this conversation, Dissanayake mentions Margot Prior, Bruce Tonge, Lawrence Bartak, Ross Day, Stella Crosley, Marian Sigman, Beryl McKenzie and Olga Tennison — all notable names from Australia’s autism research community.

How to talk to your child about their autism…

With better awareness and acceptance, approximately one out of every 50 children is receiving an autism diagnosis. More and more families are deciding when to share this information with their child. Some parents worry that doing so will “label” their child, or make others treat them differently.

Senator Pays Tribute to Mrs Olga Tennison in Parliament

Senator Hollie Hughes (NSW) delivered a speech in Federal Parliament on 7 October 2020, paying tribute to OTARC’s benefactor Mrs Olga Tennison AO.

Suicide Prevention in Autism report and policy brief

On 9 December 2021, over 600 people attended the Australasian Society for Autism Research online conference Mental Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention in Autism. Following the conference, a select group of lived experience experts and researchers met to draw together content from the conference into the documents below.

‘Autism research chose me’: OTARC’s Deputy Director Prof. Alison…

Professor Alison Lane (formerly of the University of Newcastle) has recently joined the staff of OTARC as Deputy Director. In this position she will be responsible for research leadership, early career mentoring, as well as progressing her own research program on sensory profiles with a focus on the infant and toddler years.

Autism Honours Scholarship Recipients

The Sylvia Walton Scholarship for autistic Honours students (established in 2019) has now enabled 3 dedicated students to begin their research careers. We interviewed Kate Gore, Helen Andrews and Lauren Sargeant to find out their connections to autism, their personal philosophy, and how the pandemic has affected their year.

Video: From employment to suicide prevention: Reflecting on 5…

This video recording (55 minutes) featuring Dr Darren Hedley.

Autistic people face experience low rates of labour force participation as well as high under- and unemployment. Autistic people also have high rates of cooccurring psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety and depression, and suicide.

Vale Professor Margot Prior 1937-2020

We are mourning the passing of Professor Margot Prior AO who served as inaugural Chair of the OTARC Advisory Committee (2008 – 2015). She was a true pioneer in the field of Autism research, as well as a life-affirming humanist, musician, and environmentalist.

Calling all sensory detectives and creators…

We know that most Autistic people, and some non-autistic, have sensory issues. For those on the Autism spectrum, noises that go unnoticed by many can sound like a booming drum. Equally, lights that seem unobtrusive to most can be glaring and extremely bright. And yet, those on the spectrum may also be under-stimulated across the senses, needing more sensory input. I would like to call attention to these sensory issues in the hope that with a little thought, we can help meet our own sensory needs, or the needs of those on the spectrum whom we live with.

‘Being part of the final product’ – a student’s…

Josh is a La Trobe University student who recently finished (2019) a placement at OTARC. Josh helped us with a peer-reviewed journal submission and will be a co-author on this article. The article investigates predictors of quality of life, including sleep, mental health and well-being, in Australian autistic adolescents and adults from the Study of Australian School Leavers with Autism (SASLA) and the Australian Longitudinal Study of Adults with Autism (ALSAA). Josh is autistic and has offered valuable insights and perspectives to our research team, which we share below.

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