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New friend to improve social attention of kids with autism

An attention-training game developed by researchers at The Kids Research Institute Australia is helping to improve social skill development in school-aged kids with autism.

News & Events

Study sheds new light on the ‘autism epidemic’ mystery

Researchers have shown that the so called 'autism epidemic' is due to an increase in the diagnosis of children with less severe behavioural symptoms.

News & Events

Researcher elected fellow of prestigious international autism research society

The Kids Research Institute Australia autism researcher Professor Andrew Whitehouse has been inducted as a Fellow to the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR),  making him just the fourth Australian to be bestowed the honour.

News & Events

Therapy with babies boosts social development

A child-led therapy that supports the social development of babies showing early signs of autism has found a significant reduction in social communication difficulties in babies who received the therapy, according to new research led by CliniKids at The Kids Research Institute Australia.

Research

Characterizing restricted and unusual interests in autistic youth

A broad range of interests characterized by unusual content and/or intensity, labeled as circumscribed interests are a core diagnostic feature of autism. Recent evidence suggests that a distinction can be drawn between interests that, although characterized by unusually high intensity and/or inflexibility, are otherwise common in terms of their content (e.g., an interest in movies or animals), labeled as restricted interests and interests that are generally not salient outside of autism (e.g., an interest in traffic lights or categorization), labeled as unusual interests.

Research

Profiles of circumscribed interests in autistic youth

Circumscribed interests encompass a range of different interests and related behaviors that can be characterized by either a high intensity but otherwise usual topic [referred to as restricted interests] or by a focus on topics that are not salient outside of autism [referred to as unusual interests].

Research

Parent-reported atypical development in the first year of life and age of autism diagnosis

This study examined whether parent-reported atypical development in their child's first year was associated with age of diagnosis and age when parents first needed to consult a specialist about their child's development.

Research

Absence of association between maternal adverse events and long-term gut microbiome outcomes in the Australian autism biobank

Maternal immune activation and prenatal maternal stress are well-studied risk factors for psychiatric conditions such as autism and schizophrenia. Animal studies have proposed the gut microbiome as a mechanism underlying this association and have found that risk factor-related gut microbiome alterations persist in the adult offspring.

News & Events

AWESOME ASD guide opens the world of art to kids with autism

For kids on the autism spectrum, it’s not always easy to enjoy art without becoming overwhelmed, overstimulated or anxious.

News & Events

National guidelines bring new order to autism diagnosis

Clinicians across Australia are looking forward to the release of the country’s first national guidelines for the diagnosis of autism.