Rick Morton

Grunya Sukhareva characterized autism nearly two decades before Austrian doctors Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger. So why did the latter get all the credit?

Lina Zeldovich

A new study shows that autistic girls are not getting the support they need to help them develop their friendships.

The study’s senior co-author is Professor Liz Pellicano, an internationally renowned expert on autism based at Macquarie University.

Researchers interviewed 102 children: 27 autistic girls, 27 autistic boys, 26 neurotypical (non-autistic) girls, and 23 neurotypical boys.

Autistic and non-autistic girls described similar approaches to friendship, with a focus on developing friends who they could depend on for social and emotional support.

Alycia Halladay

Observations

It’s also harmful to serious science

Children with autism do just as well in mainstream education as they do in specialised facilities, a new study has found.

In a world first, researchers at La Trobe University found children on the autism spectrum have flourished in mainstream classes and have had no negative impacts on other kids in their learning groups.

Duncan was one of 44 toddlers involved in a study that put children with autism in classes with children who don't to see if they coped better in a tailored facility.

AAP

Children aged up to three years are more at risk of developing autism when exposed to toxic air pollutants, an Australian study shows.

Young children exposed to toxic air pollutants are significantly more likely to develop autism, new Australian research reveals.

The study of nearly 1500 children in China, aged up to three years, found those exposed to fine particles from some outdoor pollutants were up to 78 per cent more likely to develop autism spectrum disorder.

Angela Thompson

A magistrate is considering the fate of an Illawarra FaCs carer accused of assaulting a mute autistic boy, after the child’s parents took the extraordinary step of planting a recording device in their son’s bag in a bid to explain his bruises. 

In distressing audio recordings played to Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday, Lennard Michael Downes is heard calling the boy a "f---ing c---" and threatening to hit him if he doesn’t eat.

Patrick Abboud

One in four children with disabilities is turned away from mainstream schools in Australia. Experts claim many of these children have been misdiagnosed with intellectual disabilities based on inappropriate IQ tests administered by the Department of Education.

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The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) today announced a pilot which will use independent health professionals with experience in disability to undertake functional assessments, so that participants are able to access and use appropriate supports through the NDIS.

The NDIA will be piloting the use of independent health professionals who will use standardised tools that help determine the functional impact a person's disability has on their capacity to engage in the community, work place, and social activities.