Help us to understand how early interventions support children…

We want to understand the relative benefits of interventions and supports for children and families by comparing groups of children receiving different types of early interventions.

We will do this by tracking the developmental progress of children and the wellbeing of their parents over a 2-year pre-school period.

Who can participate?
Parents and their child with autism (18m – 3.5yrs old) who are willing to travel to La Trobe University Bundoora (Melbourne) campus

What is involved?
We will assess children’s developmental progress, and ask parents to complete questionnaires, interviews and provide saliva samples (to measure stress hormones) four times over two years.

For half of families – chosen at random – we will provide a series of weekly parent support sessions, free of charge.

For all families, as a Thank You for participating, we will provide a written assessment report on child progress following each of the four assessments.

To find out more, contact: Dr Cherie Green e: c.green@latrobe.edu.au t: (03) 9479 3648
Approved by the La Trobe University Human Ethics Committee: #16-136

Pathways beyond diagnosis: a study of parents with preschool…

Are you a parent of a preschool aged child (under 6 years of age)? Does your child have a diagnosis of autism?

We are inviting all parents of preschool aged children with an autism diagnosis to take part in the Family Support Program by sharing their experiences post-diagnosis.

Discovering your child has autism can be a difficult and overwhelming time. Although the long-term effects of diagnosing children at an early age are positive, you may not have felt prepared for the initial diagnosis.

We have developed a Family Support Program to identify and understand the unique needs of parents following a diagnosis of autism.

By better understanding parents’ past experiences of diagnosis, we can provide families of newly diagnosed young children with the support they need to understand autism, promote family wellbeing and ensure they feel equipped with tools to navigate the pathways beyond diagnosis.

What is involved?

Parents are asked to complete an online questionnaire by visiting: https://latrobe.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9zVqRRjxxQAreMl (approx. 20-30 minutes)

Further information

Stacey Rabba, PhD candidate
La Trobe University
s.rabba@latrobe.edu.au

Safe & Sound Protocol: intervention study for children

Decreasing defensive responses: an intervention study of emotional regulation, social engagement, auditory processing and motor skills in children with autism.

Children with autism often experience challenges with emotional and behavioural regulation, social engagement, communication, sensory processing, and motor coordination skills. Read more “Safe & Sound Protocol: intervention study for children” →