Autism perspectives
A key question for science to explore in the twenty-first century concerns the mechanisms that underlie social behaviour. How do we understand other people’s thoughts, beliefs and intentions? To what extent can our mental states and feelings be shared with other people? And how do we incorporate other people’s thoughts, feelings and beliefs into our mental world?
Read more “Using an eye tracker in Autism Research”
Supports and practices for daily living
Are Autism Assistance Dogs suitable for children of all ages?
When should an Autism Assistance Dog be introduced to a child with autism?
These questions, coupled with an increase in interest by families in acquiring a dog for their child and Autism researchers attempting to assess the effectiveness of dogs in support of a child and family. However, it is not yet possible to conclusively state that assistance dogs (also called service dogs) are effective companion for an Autistic child, let alone make recommendations as to the desired characteristics and training of dogs or suitable child and family characteristics (e.g., child age, level of functioning, behavioural issues; family type and dynamics). This is because the studies published to date have many limitations.
Read more “Autism assistance dogs”
Health and wellbeing
Many mothers with children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (Autism) diagnosis report higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression than mothers with non-autistic children and those rearing children with other disabilities. But we don’t know which factors contribute to or protect against these negative outcomes. Being from a migrant family, I wondered whether mothers from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds would experience more or less stress, anxiety and depression in reaction to having an autists child than Australian mothers. Based on other research, we also thought that different coping skills may influence how mothers react. These are the questions I explored for my Honours project with Dr Kristelle Hudry and Dr Josephine Barbaro at OTARC. We were particularly interested in the reactions and coping skills of mothers whose child had recently been diagnosed with Autism.
Ask an Autism Researcher
The movement against vaccinations continues to make news with numerous articles across all media, and public health experts are required to continuously defend vaccinations.
This topic is not a theoretical one…it affects the lives and health of many.
Read more “Infographic: Autism & Vaccines”
Supports and practices for daily living
Read more “Diet changes for children”Have any studies have been done on diet change for children with ASD?
Are gluten and casein-free diets helpful as a treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Ask an Autism Researcher
Could you please let me know where DAMP and Aspergers crossover, and where to find more info on DAMP?
DAMP stands for Deficits in Attention, Motor Control and Perception. Put simply, it is a combination of features of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). ADHD is characterised by attention deficits, inappropriate overactivity, and problems with impulsiveness, while DCD is characterised by persistent motor control problems in absence of clear intellectual disability or cerebral palsy and other major neurological disabilities.
Read more “What is DAMP?”
Supports and practices for daily living
Research underway for many years at La Trobe University has been supporting the very early identification of Autism Spectrum Disorders in infancy and toddlerhood with the view of promoting optimal development by access to early intervention. Recent research by Sally Rogers and her colleagues of the MIND Institute, published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders this week describes the first controlled study documenting outcomes of infants with signs of Autism who received supports in their first year of life, well before the age at which Autism is usually diagnosed.
Read more “Children with early signs of Autism receive supports in their first year of life”
Health and wellbeing
The way in which Autistic people perceive and express emotions has captured my interest and fascination, and I expect this will continue for many years to come. Although there is much that is still to be discovered, from my research and others on this topic, as well as my clinical experience with people with autism, there are a few things we can confidently describe at this stage:
Read more “The emotional life of Autistic people”
Ask an Autism Researcher
Read more “Autistic children ‘hearing voices’”A client with a child with autism reports that her son says that when he kicks and hits it is the voices in his brain telling him to do so. Is the hearing voices connected to autism?
Ask an Autism Researcher
Can a child with autism manage using more than one language?
At OTARC, we are very interested in exactly this question: Can Autistic children learn more than one language? If so, what can we reasonably expect for how well they will develop each language? If not, what is the best advice we can give to families where English is not the home language, or to families who use both English and another language (e.g., mum prefers to speak one language and dad prefers another)? And what is the impact on bilingual parents of attempting to use their non-native language when interacting with their Autistic child?
Read more “Bilingual children”