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Deputy Director Andrew Whitehouse and Head of Autism / Senior Principal Research Fellow, David Trembath explore how the evolving definition of autism may affect the identification and support of autistic people, particularly those with the highest support needs. Published by The Conversation on the 14th May 2026.

Receiving an autism diagnosis for your child can bring a wide range of emotions. For many families, it provides answers and validation, but it can also leave parents and caregivers wondering, What happens next? Where do we start?

Mothers of autistic children and adults bewtween 11 and 24 years old were interviewed about the impacts and rewards associated with their children's disability.

There is insufficient evidence to draw conclusions on the efficacy of modified diets, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, immune therapy, and vitamin and fatty acid...

Data linkage is the bringing together of specific datasets from different sources using demographic information on individuals within a population.

The identification of reproducible subtypes within autistic populations is a priority research area in the context of neurodevelopment, to pave the way for identification of biomarkers and targeted treatment recommendations. Few previous studies have considered medical comorbidity alongside behavioural, cognitive, and psychiatric data in subgrouping analyses.

There is now good evidence that behavioural signs of autism spectrum conditions (autism) emerge over the first two years of life. Identifying clear developmental differences early in life may facilitate earlier identification and intervention that can promote longer-term quality of life. Here we present a systematic review of studies investigating behavioural markers of later autism diagnosis or symptomology taken at 0-6 months.

Mother-infant interactions during the first year of life are crucial to healthy infant development. The infant-directed speech (IDS), and specifically pitch contours, used by mothers during interactions are associated with infant language and social development.

Past research has highlighted the importance of early identification of developmental differences to improve targeted access to early interventions or supports. As such, it is of particular importance in the context of children at elevated likelihood of autism (such as where an older sibling has a diagnosis of autism), to better understand when and which early concerns are important as predictors of which children will benefit from pre-diagnostic supports.

Estimates of the prevalence of intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder may vary depending on the methodology, geographical location, and sources of ascertainment. The National Disability Insurance Scheme in Australia was introduced progressively from 2016 to provide individualized funding for eligible people with a significant and permanent disability.