Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) has revised its autism prevalence rates from 1 in 100 to an estimated 1 in 70 people in Australia on the autism spectrum. That is an estimated 40% increase or around 353,880 people.

Aspect CEO, Adrian Ford, said the new number reflects recent changes in diagnostic criteria and new national and international research.

“Aspect has been using the 1 in 100 figure since 2014 based on the best research and information coming from overseas and within Australia at the time.

Aisha Dow

When she was a little girl, Lydia Zahra wanted to socialise just like everyone else, but she often struggled to understand the unwritten rules of communicating due to her autism.

“I would want to talk and want to talk about myself, but I didn’t really know how to ask people questions,” the 19-year-old said.

“It seemed a bit rude.”

Lydia Zahra was diagnosed with autism as a young child.

Anita Beaumont

IF Luke and Katrina Horn both worked nine-to-five jobs, they say there is “no way” they could cover the care of their 18-year-old son under his latest National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) plan.

Dillon Horn, of Newcastle, has autism and epilepsy, and he is non-verbal.

Until now, Dillon has not needed “a lot” in terms of his NDIS plan because he was attending a special development school, full time.

Elizabeth Fortescue

If you bundle a child into a jumper and beanie for a chilly night out at Vivid Sydney, you’ll soon be treated to a stream of chatter about the sparkly blanket of magic cast over the city by the lights and projections.

But when an excited Charlie Isackson turned to his mum at Vivid and told her, “I like it”, it was the only thing he said all night. In fact, it was the only sentence Charlie has ever said in all his seven years.

A disability care service provider says it is cooperating with a police investigation into the death of a young boy with severe autism who was hit and killed by a train in Sydney's south.

The 11-year-old boy died after he escaped from a respite care facility at Oatley just after 7:00pm yesterday.

His carers alerted authorities and a police search was set up involving Polair and the dog squad.

The boy's body was found at the Oatley train station two hours later.

Police confirmed on Monday morning that the child, who was non-verbal, was hit by a train.

Natalie Jones, speech pathologist/senior clinician at Autism Australia

I’m very proud to be commencing two new education and healthcare services here in the Inverell area – the first helping individuals with autism under the name Autism Australia, and the other a general speech pathology service – about which I’ll explain further down.

RACHEL CHAMBERLAIN

BATHURST families are half-way to their fundraising target for the Walk for Autism. 

They gathered on Sunday at the Bathurst Community Op Shop and Bicentennial Park to walk and raise money with a barbecue.

Funds were also raised on Saturday with a raffle of a gift voucher to the Kelso Hotel.

Mother Fiona Prosser has been leading the charge for the Walk for Autism in Bathurst, the cause being very close to her heart.

Jody Lindbeck

When Jacob Gordon was a baby, he was a noticably poor sleeper, but as many infants are not great with nighttime routines, it was perhaps not so unusual.

However, as Jacob got older, his sleep patterns did not improve and parents Jacinta and David became increasingly concerned, especially after they began to see other issues.