OTARC Director’s report February 2024
A fresh year has begun and the second year of our re-imagined OTARC! I hope you were all able to have at least a little down time over the holiday period.
At OTARC, the hallways are buzzing again. This time, the office re-shuffle is in full swing! Creating neurodiversity-affirming workspaces is an idea gaining traction in the broader community and at OTARC, we aim to practice what we preach. This includes attention to smaller details such as dimmable lighting, provision of headphones for staff in shared office spaces and fidget toys at meetings. But it is also some of the bigger things like understanding our own and other’s preferred working and communication styles and advocating for space planning that accounts for neurodiversity. Credit is due to our Centre Manager, Doug Scobie, for steering this process. As you’ll see in this month’s newsletter, OTARC has been on the forefront of research to understand what leads to employment success for Autistic people. We hope to enact findings from this research in our day-to-day practice.
Read more “OTARC Director’s report February 2024”Understanding factors influencing inclusion and participation in community gym…
Georgia McKenzie will discuss the findings of her PhD research, which explored inclusion and participation in community gym settings for adults with cerebral palsy. Georgia will present the findings from a series of studies that have identified and examined key relationships between young adults with cerebral palsy and the environments around them that are influencing their participation in community gyms. Georgia will conclude the seminar with a discussion on the implications of the findings, and recommendations for change across the rehabilitation and recreation sectors.
Read more “Understanding factors influencing inclusion and participation in community gym settings for adults with cerebral palsy”Emotion regulation supports: What professionals think?
If you are a health professional i.e. psychologists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, behavioural therapists; have provided services to Autistic people regarding emotion regulation; have been practicing in this area for 3+ years; have English language competency; and are able to commit to each round of the study (approx. 15-30 mins for 3 rounds) we are keen for you to sign up!
Read more “Emotion regulation supports: What professionals think?”Autism prevalence in Australia: What we know so far
There have been no systematic studies on the prevalence of Autism in Australia. Accurate prevalence data allows for planning necessary services and supports, and also helps to build community understanding for Autistic Australians. We know that Autistic individuals make up approximately 30% of people accessing the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), however without accurate prevalence data, it is difficult to know what proportion of Autistic individuals are receiving funding.
In this blog post, we’ll delve into some of our research that aims to understand the prevalence of Autism in Australia. OTARC researchers have conducted four studies that have created a clearer picture of the situation and highlighted areas where more attention and support may be needed.
Read more “Autism prevalence in Australia: What we know so far”OTARC Director’s Report September 2023
It appears that Spring has sprung! And with it some warmer weather, some sunshine, and a new family of very cute ducklings on La Trobe University’s Bundoora campus. At OTARC, Spring has brought us international visitors and an opportunity to meet members of the community at our Research Showcase in what we hope will become a regular event. This event, held on September 7th at La Trobe University’s Melbourne city campus, was an opportunity to showcase a sampling of our current and proposed research projects across our four program areas; Identification and Diagnosis, Supports and Practices for Daily Living, Vocational Engagement and Health and Wellbeing. We heard from our senior and junior researchers in rapid-fire 10-minute talks. Members of the audience were able to ask questions of the researchers which led to lively discussion. Even as Director, I learnt new things about the work that our researchers are doing and further appreciated the breadth and reach of OTARC’s research. It was wonderful to see so many members of the community in attendance and we will look to further refine the format for future events.
Read more “OTARC Director’s Report September 2023”What do Australian Autistic adults experience when they see…
What do Australian Autistic adults experience when they see a neurodiversity affirming psychologist?
If you live in Australia, are 18+, have either been diagnosed or identify as Autistic, and have had at least 1 appointment with a neurodiversity affirming psychologist in the past 2 years, we are keen to hear from you!
Read more “What do Australian Autistic adults experience when they see a neurodiversity affirming psychologist?”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.
Read more “The story of Autism research in Australia: A conversation with Cheryl Dissanayake”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.
Read more “Suicide Prevention in Autism report and policy brief”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.
Read more “Autism Honours Scholarship Recipients”