Search the site

Parental experiences using the Therapy Outcomes by You (TOBY) application to deliver early intervention to their child with autism

Parental experience of TOBY was positive when use of the application aligned with parental proficiency, opportunities for use, and importantly, the needs of the child

“We are in this together”: Experiences of relationship satisfaction in couples raising a child with autism spectrum disorder

Couples can be supported in these key areas to strengthen their relationship to serve as a source of resilience for families with a child with ASD

Relationship between early motor milestones and severity of restricted and repetitive behaviors in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

This study provides the first evidence for the association between restricted and repetitive behaviors and age of attainment of early motor milestones.

Caesarean section and risk of autism across gestational age: a multi-national cohort study of 5 million births

The positive association between caesarean section (CS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be attributed to preterm delivery.

Autism diagnoses are up, largely fuelled by the NDIS. What happens next isn’t entirely clear

In this article, Deputy Director of the Kids Research Institute Australia, Andrew Whitehouse explores why diagnosis rates have risen and what proposed NDIS reforms could mean for autistic children, families and future access to supports. Published by The Conversation on the 15th April 2026

Screening all 3‑ and 4‑year‑olds for developmental delay makes sense. But diagnosing autism is different

David Trembath, Head of Autism Research and Senior Principal Research Fellow, at The Kids Research Institute, explains why developmental screening is important and why autism diagnosis requires a comprehensive assessment. Published by The Conversation on the 17th June 2026

Caregiver broader autism phenotype does not moderate the effect of early caregiver-mediated support on infant language outcomes

Caregiver-mediated supports in general have shown mixed evidence for enhancing language outcomes in infants at higher likelihood of autism. While caregivers play a substantial role in caregiver-mediated supports, little is known about whether caregivers' own subclinical autistic features - known as broader autism phenotype - may moderate infant language outcomes.

Empathy and Autism: Establishing the Structure and Different Manifestations of Empathy in Autistic Individuals Using the Perth Empathy Scale

There is a common mischaracterisation that autistic individuals have reduced or absent empathy. Measurement issues may have influenced existing findings on the relationships between autism and empathy, and the structure of the empathy construct in autism remains unclear.

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.

“We Need Community-Centred, Strongly Ethical Genetic Research”: A Qualitative Investigation of Community Attitudes Toward Autism Genetics

Autism genetics has historically attracted a substantial proportion of autism research funding internationally. However, more recently, several controversies centered on ethical conduct and lack of community consultation have emerged. This has triggered Autistic-led protests for the functional and meaningful inclusion of Autistic voices in the research design.