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Article from: (see http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,,25419295-5001021,00.html)

By Jennifer Sexton

May 03, 2009 12:00am

Toddlers with autism may closely monitor co-occurring sights and sounds, resulting in a neglect of social signals

By Bruce Bower
April 25th, 2009; Vol.175 #9 (p. 8)

Genome-wide associations home in on proteins responsible for cell adhesion
By Tina Hesman Saey
Web edition : Tuesday, April 28th, 2009

• Studies could help in diagnosis and treatment
• Work 'moves research significantly ahead'

• Anna Patty Education Editor
• April 29, 2009

ELIZABETH GAWTHORNE has spent 11 years working with children at Marrickville High School yet is still classed as a temporary employee.

As a school learning support officer, she works alongside classroom teachers, helping children with special needs.

While satisfying, the job provides no security from one year to the next. Further training opportunities are limited.

"I have 11 years of experience and can be told I'm not wanted next year," she said.

from The Age, Letters

24/4/2009

from The Age

• Carol Nader and Farrah Tomazin
• April 22, 2009

Meredith Ward with her son Grant. Photo: Angela Wylie

GRANT can tell that he is different from the other kids he goes to school with. The 13-year-old has moderate autism, interfering with his ability to learn.

from The Age, Letters

ONLY parents of children with disabilities and their advocates would spot the irony in Bronwyn Pike describing students with disabilities with challenging behaviours as being "through no fault of their own" (The Age, 22/4). Ms Pike's descriptions seems to be at odds with typical school responses to these behaviours — detention/ suspension/expulsion.

April 20, 2009

A teenage British boy with a form of autism is stranded in Australia because he is too scared to travel by air or sea home to England.

Thomas Hill's family moved to Sydney in January 2008 to start a new life but decided to return recently because they were homesick.

But 16-year-old Thomas, who has been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, is still in Sydney with his mum Lisa because he has panic attacks about travelling.