Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia

"Having our child diagnosed with autism was the biggest challenge for me and my husband. Our marriage was even on the verge of breaking down, had we not sought help from experts," mum-of-two Ghia Man reveals to SBS Filipino.

Key Points

Anna Macdonald

The development of South Australia’s autism strategy will help make the invisible “visible”, according to an occupational therapy lecturer.

The South Australian government closed submissions for its discussion paper on its first autism strategy earlier this week.

Rhiannon Bowman

The fragmented nature of early childhood vision screening across Australia could be overcome if the eye health sector can implement a new nationwide program by 2030. The topic is close to the heart of PROF FRANK MARTIN, as outlined in his Council Lecture presentation.

Chris Edwards, Griffith University

Media personality Em Rusciano has expressed shock after another radio presenter accused her of “leaping on the bandwagon” by widely sharing her autism diagnosis and its impact on her daily life.

David Krauss Ph.D.

When Ashleigh Keating worked as a primary school teachers’ aide, she would very rarely tell the teachers she supported she was autistic, even though her students often had the same disability.

Her reluctance was based on widespread ignorance and stigma around autism. She observed teachers did not have high expectations of autistic students, bad behaviour was blamed on autism and if a staff member was a “little bit of an interesting character”, it was assumed they must be autistic.

Children with autism should have their neurodiversity embraced rather than it being seen as something that must be cured, new national guidelines say.

The federal government on Thursday released Australia's first national practice guidelines to promote the education, participation and wellbeing of autistic children and their families.

The guidelines feature 84 recommendations for practitioners to ensure there is effective and consistent support available to children up to the age of 12.

Andrew Whitehouse, The University of Western Australia and David Trembath, Griffith University

Bruce Tonge’s ground-breaking work in child psychiatry over five decades has focused on autism spectrum disorders and behavioural and emotional disturbance in children with intellectual disability.

The Woodend-based Emeritus Professor has been named an Officer of the Order of Australia in this year’s Australia Day Honours in acknowledgement of his service to research and education in this field.

Prof Tonge’s career began in 1970 as a young graduate of medicine at Monash University, when he first developed a keen interest in both paediatrics and psychiatry.