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Research
Is the broad autism phenotype in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder exacerbated by the challenges of caring for their children?This qualitative study of parental interviews provided a preliminary examination of whether behaviours consistent with the BAP may have been exacerbated by...
Research
Experiences Impacting the Quality of Life of Mothers of Children With Autism and Intellectual DisabilityMothers of autistic children and adults bewtween 11 and 24 years old were interviewed about the impacts and rewards associated with their children's disability.
Research
The associations between autistic and communication traits in parents and developmental outcomes in children at familial risk of autism at 6 and 24 months of ageSeveral studies have explored relationships between parent broader autism phenotype and offspring communication, and have reported that autistic-like traits in parents are related to offspring communication difficulties and autism severity. However, past research has focused on studying such associations in childhood and we know very little about them in infancy. With accumulating evidence that interventions administered during infancy may be most effective in reducing ASD symptoms, it is imperative to examine whether relationships between parent autistic-like traits and child communication appear even earlier during this critical period of life.
Research
An investigation of adherence to best practice guidelines for autism diagnosis in New ZealandMany clinicians in New Zealand do not follow guidelines for best practice in autism diagnosis. In this study, we investigated the processes that health professionals in New Zealand follow when diagnosing autistic children and adults. We asked 117 health professionals from a range of services and regions in New Zealand, how they identify and diagnose autism.
Research
Validation of a novel theory of mind measurement tool: The social robot video taskSocial communication difficulties in autism spectrum disorder have been associated with poor Theory of Mind (ToM), an ability to attribute mental states to others. Interventions using humanoid robots could improve ToM that may generalize to human-human interactions. Traditionally, ToM has been measured using the Firth-Happe Animations (FHA) task which depicts interactions between two animated triangles.

News & Events
Launch of National Autism GuidelineResearchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia, working with the Autism CRC, have led the development of the National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Australia which was launched today.

News & Events
The Kids Research Institute Australia’s CliniKids wins national disability awardCliniKids has won the Excellence in Allied Health category at the inaugural National Disability Awards, announced in Melbourne tonight.

News & Events
Autism Researcher a Finalist for Western Australian of the YearProfessor Andrew Whitehouse has been named a finalist in the 2023 Western Australian of the Year Awards for his work in transforming clinical support for autistic children in Australia.
Research
Community perspectives on the appropriateness and importance of support goals for young autistic childrenResearchers do not know much about what autistic adults, parents and professionals think about support goals for young autistic children. People's views of support goals might also be influenced by their beliefs about early support more generally. This survey involved 87 autistic adults, 159 parents of autistic children and 80 clinical professionals living in New Zealand and Australia.

News & Events
Autism researcher named 40 under 40 finalistAndrew Whitehouse has been listed in the WA Business News 40 under 40 awards recognising accomplished and dynamic young leaders in Western Australia.