Sandra Jones

A decade ago I was participating in a research seminar at an Australian university and one of the academics responded to a presentation about autism with the comment “all academics are a little bit autistic”.

Recently, I was speaking to a colleague about a someone from another university that she found hard to deal with. My colleague told me of the trouble she was having and finished up with “you know how he is … a bit on the spectrum”.

Helen Campbell knows the risk her daughter Annie poses to the community because she has experienced it herself.

In 2013, a small change to Annie's routine during a tenpin bowling excursion resulted in a violent meltdown.

Lisa Wachsmuth

Just weeks after starting sessions at Wollongong's new early intervention centre, little Samson Howari stretched out his arms, looked his mum in the eye and asked for a cuddle.

For most parents of toddlers that's pretty cute - for the mother of a two-year-old with a severe level of autism, it was monumental.

Michelle Smith

Young people with Asperger's Syndrome or high functioning autism and an interest in technology will have a new place to come together when The Lab begins in Ballarat next month.

The Lab offers individual and group mentoring, for children aged 10 to 16 on the autism spectrum, from IT professionals in web and digital design, programming and game making in a fun and safe place where they can socialise with others who share their interests.

Mike McRae

My son explained to me this morning why the ground gets frosty in winter. He did a good job, too. Once, he might have been described as being on the 'high functioning' end of the autism spectrum.

Our language has changed since his diagnosis at age three, and I have no doubt it will continue to do so into the future. Now, a new study shows why it's important we all stop using the term 'high functioning autism'.

Some stereotypical behaviours of individuals with autism suggest they don’t use a certain type of memory in the same way others might. Annie Spratt/Unsplash

John Munro, Australian Catholic University

Girls and women on the autism spectrum are at higher risk of anorexia nervosa than males, research suggests.

But girls are also more likely than boys to have undiagnosed autism and their symptoms could be mistaken for an eating disorder.

An article in Current Psychiatry Reports by researchers from Kings College London reports between 4 and 52.5 per cent of anorexia patients meet a clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, depending on the study. In the general population just 1 per cent have autism.

Sherryn Groch, Kirsten Lawson

A nine-year-old boy who feels "all hope is lost" after being punched, kicked and strangled in the schoolyard remains in the same class as the child responsible.

A family was forced to send their daughter interstate to escape bullying and violence at school, after footage of her assault spread across social media last year.

These are some of the harrowing stories parents have shared with an ACT inquiry into school violence

Gabriella Rogers A new gut-based approach is being trialled in Australia in the hope of overcoming some of the challenges of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

ASD is a group of neurodevelopmental conditions which is often characterised by difficulties in social interaction, communication and repetitive behaviours.

Males are four times more likely than females to have the condition.