University research theme/s: Healthy people, families and communities
Children with developmental disabilities face challenges such as discrimination, being placed in special care facilities, difficulties in accessing healthcare, and poorer health and education outcomes compared to their peers.
In 2019, Emeritus Professor Cheryl Dissanayake AM was (one of 26) invited as a Commissioner on the Lancet Commission on Autism (2019-21) resulting in a landmark paper – The Lancet Commission on the future of care and clinical research in Autism.
In 2023, the Finnish Medical Society Duodecim released its Current Care Guidelines (Käypä hoito -suositukset): Autism Spectrum Disorder. This national care guideline is intended as a basis for treatment decisions and can be used by physicians, dentists, healthcare professionals and citizens, empowering them with the necessary information to make informed decisions. The guidelines reference this paper multiple times about the:
- use of the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)
- importance of a broad diagnostic process
- importance on individualised, age appropriate care
- outlining the lack of comparative models of care research
- importance of identification and targeting co-occurring conditions to improve quality of life.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
