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News & Events
Autism researcher a finalist for WA's Australian of the YearProfessor Andrew Whitehouse, who has helped transform clinical support for children on the autism spectrum in Australia, is nominated for WA's 2023 Australian of the Year.
News & Events
CliniKids clinicians rise to the COVID-19 challengeThe CliniKids team has reimagined how allied health services for children with autism spectrum disorder or developmental delays are delivered.
News & Events
Researchers call for the term ‘high functioning autism’ to be consigned to historyAutism researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia have called for the term ‘high functioning autism’ to be abandoned because of the misleading and potentially harmful expectations it creates around the abilities of children on the autism spectrum.
News & Events
Early diagnosis for kids with autismFocussing attention on a child’s first year of life is proving to be a major breakthrough in autism research.
News & Events
Study looks at fish oil as treatment for autismThe Kids Research Institute Australia research has shown nearly 50 per cent of children with autism have tried fish oil supplements, but does it actually improve symptoms?
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Pregnant women sought for autism studyPregnant women who already have an autistic child are being sought for a study by the Autism Research Team at WA's The Kids for Child Health Research.
News & Events
Alternative Autism Therapies Under ScrutinyA research review from The Kids for Child Health Research has cast doubt on the effectiveness of some complementary and alternative therapies for
Research
Characterizing Transdiagnostic Processes Underlying the Drive to Socially Engage: A Multimeasurement Factor Analytic InvestigationAltered drive to socially engage is a transdiagnostic feature across multiple psychopathologies. Yet, lack of clarity regarding specific processes that constitute social drive, along with insufficient measurement methods, has hindered understanding in this area. This study ascertained the feasibility of approximating difficulties within specific fine-grained social drive processes as proposed by 2 theoretical frameworks: “orienting,” “wanting,” “pursuing,” “liking,” “learning,” and “reticence” within a reward processing framework and “orienting,” “seeking and maintaining,” and “liking” within a social motivation framework.
Research
Evaluation of the Acceptability and Feasibility of the Social Attention and Communication Surveillance-Revised (SACS-R) Tool for Early Identification of Autism in Preterm InfantsPreterm birth is associated with a 3.3-fold increased likelihood of autism diagnosis, with lower gestational age conferring higher likelihood. In Australia, autism is typically diagnosed at around age four, potentially missing the optimal neuroplasticity window before age two. The Social Attention and Communication Surveillance-Revised (SACS-R) tool identifies early autism signs in children aged 11-30 months, enabling pre-emptive intervention.