Dorothy Vasilakis with her autistic son Christiaan Dramisino at Ashford Special School earlier this year. Picture: Calum Robertson Source: News Corp Australia

Treetop Autism Specific School will open for 45 students in Ashford in 2015

A SCHOOL for students with autism spectrum disorders will open in South Australia in 2015 following a campaign by parents.

Treetop Autism Specific School will cater for 45 students in years reception to nine.

It will be based in Ashford, on the current site of the Ashford special school, which is relocating to Plympton.

The Advertiser has covered the campaign by mother of two Fiora Christou and other parents with autistic children for such a school since last year.

South Australia is the only state without a specialised education facility for students with the developmental disability.

Treetop board chairman John Dagas said students with autism would not spend their entire schooling life there.

Andrew Whitehouse, 18 Nov 2013

The internet was ablaze last week with the news that health authorities in Western Australia (WA) have given approval for IVF clinics to ‘screen’ embryos to reduce the chances of a couple having a child with autism.

Benjamin Preiss 19 November 2013

She tells tribunal her child's behaviour deteriorated after attending special school.

A mother of an autistic child has accused a special school of using restraint and seclusion to control challenging behaviour.

The woman is suing the state government in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal for her son's treatment at Cranbourne's Marnebek School, which caters for children with disabilities.

Kerry Faulkner 13 Nov 2013

The paper describes that rather than a single entity, autism is multiple disorders.

INFORMATION from the families of 1200 children with autism will be collected from next month to begin the largest autism data study in Australia which includes a team of WA researchers.

Telethon Institute of Child Health Research’s Andrew Whitehouse says the project involves several prominent research groups across the nation under the umbrella of the Autism Co-operative Research Centre for Living with Autism Spectrum Disorders which received $31 million over eight years from the Federal Government earlier this year.

Professor Whitehouse says the centre will further extensive work by Telethon including its recent ‘proof of principle’ research which advocates a new approach to autism investigation and whose findings have been documented in the Frontiers of Human Science Journal.

Nick Toscano November 13, 2013

A confused autistic boy who was engulfed in smoke during a house fire in Melbourne's south east has been rescued by two passers-by.

The pair saw smoke coming from the house on Were Street, Brighton, shortly after 1.30pm on Wednesday, and smashed a window to gain entry.

The teenage boy, who has Asperger's syndrome, had walked into the smoky kitchen but then froze and did not know what to do, according to the Metropolitan Fire Brigade.

Inclusionists believe “inclusive education” is the best way, well really the only way, to educate every student, including every student with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Inclusionists simply have faith. They ignore evidence that does not support their faith. They usually lack tolerance for anyone who criticises, or even questions, the total supremacy of “inclusive education”. Many students with ASD benefit from, even thrive through, “inclusive education”. Sadly, most students with ASD are currently educated in an “inclusive” mainstream setting but have abysmal outcomes¹; outcomes that are typically far worse than students with disability generally. The data (evidence) is clear.

Teenagers with autism are being bullied and discriminated against, have difficulty paying attention in class and feel lonely.

The first ever study to ask high functioning teenage autism sufferers about their own experience with their disability has found less than half the students had good friends.

The study found more than half the students needed support for bullying and discrimination and that two thirds felt lonely and needed help managing stress.

A4 requested a meeting with Senator Fifield, Assistant Minister for Social Services (responsible for Disability Services), to discuss how to improve the NDIS for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

A4 shares some of the concerns raised in The Australian (see http://a4.org.au/a4/node/756) relating to people with Intellectual Disability; at least 30% of people with autism, often severe autism, also have an intellectual disability so we can expect to have some common concerns/issues. A4 and also has concerns that specifically relate to autism.

PATRICIA KARVELAS AND RICK MORTON The Australian November 11, 2013

THE Abbott government has ordered the National Disability Insurance Agency to overhaul its processes and provide immediate "remedial action" because the flagship disability insurance scheme is running late.

This is despite concern that the most vulnerable - those with intellectual disabilities - are being railroaded into accepting decisions that are not right for them and, in some cases, left to negotiate without independent advocates present.

Sacramento, CA (PRWEB) November 06, 2013

The gastrointestinal problems are linked to problem behaviors in children with autism, developmental delay.

Children with autism experience gastrointestinal (GI) upsets such as constipation, diarrhea and sensitivity to foods six-to-eight times more often than do children who are developing typically, and those symptoms are related to behavioral problems, including social withdrawal, irritability and repetitive behaviors, a new study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute has found.