Rochelle Kirkham

Keeley Murphy has always struggled academically at school.

But now the 14-year-old has created an organisation that is improving the lives of children Australia wide.

Ballan-based charity Keeley’s Cause provides iPads for children with autism or an intellectual disability. 

Keeley and her mother Sharon Murphy, with the help of an army of supporters, have presented 37 children with their own iPad in just under nine months. 

Siobhan Calafiore

Faced with a lack of services in Ballarat, Vicky Robinson has resorted to travelling to Melbourne to ensure her daughter receives the autism support she requires.

Rachel Richards, now eight years old, was diagnosed with autism at four.

“She is on the invisible end of the spectrum,” Ms Robinson said. “To look at, you wouldn’t know, but it was just that social delay, not interacting with peers.

Michael A. Ellis DO

Those with autism spectrum disorder have a shorter life expectancy. Here’s why.

Two recent studies will undoubtedly shock individuals and families affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These studies show a much earlier age of death in those with ASD as compared with the general population.  

ASD is is still widely misunderstood, which means a lot of parents dread getting a diagnosis.

But, actually, parents say receiving a diagnosis can be a huge relief as the interventions now available can make a world of difference.

What are the signs of ASD and, once you get a diagnosis, what's next?

Dr Josephine Barbaro is a Senior Fellow at Latrobe University's Autism Research Centre and Richard Peake features in a new documentary Dad: A film about Autism and Fatherhood.

Karen R Fisher, UNSW; Erin Louise Whittle, UNSW, and Julian Norman Trollor, UNSW

Jen Monnier

In 1987, psychologist Ole Ivar Lovaas reported that he had created a therapy that would make the behavior of some autistic children indistinguishable from that of typical children by 7 years of age¹. His approach, applied behavioral analysis (ABA), involves hours of drills each day, in which children are rewarded for certain behaviors and discouraged from others.

William Clarke, 22, may live with autism and have a limited vocabulary but he is inspiring communities and around the world with his achievements.

It comes as people around Australia help him creatively paint crickets bats and paddles for sale at a growing number of exhibitions.

Captain Quirk

Prepare yourselves. This article’s a big one.

Three years ago, back when Autistic Not Weird’s Facebook page “only” had 7,000 followers [all links open in new windows, by the way], I ran an autism survey. It was a laborious but rewarding task, and I was surprised it got as many as 477 responses.