Rick Morton

An instructor in a “socially harmful cult” sold taxpayer-funded DVDs to parents that said autistic children could see spirits and illnesses from past lives, with the permission of the federal Department of Social Services, which was warned more than four years ago that the material was dangerous.

Meg Francis

The Hunter’s first high school tailored for children with autism is anticipated to open its doors early next year.

For prominent developer Hilton Grugeon, the new facility will fill the gap for older students with autism in the Hunter region.

Mr Grugeon was one of the driving forces in establishing the Thornton-based Hunter Aspect School (primary) in 2011 – donating land, labour and building materials. 

Heidi Kraak

Thirty-two year old Joel Wilson's story is perhaps not very different from a lot of other people, but that, he says, is why it is an important story to tell.

Diagnosed with aspergers, now acknowledged as part of the autism spectrum disorder, as a teenager, Mr Wilson shared his life story at an autism forum in Traralgon recently to show young people with autism in the community and their families that an autism diagnosis does not preclude someone from a "normal life".

Yolanda Redrup

IT services company DXC Technology is making headway in plugging the tech skills gap by tapping into a talent pool often neglected by employers, hiring people on the autism spectrum.

Isabel Bird

A Tasmanian mother is hoping to promote social acceptance of autism with a picture book that teaches children and their parents about autism.

Katt Strachan has written Poppi Lou is Different which features Poppi, her nine-year-old daughter who is on the autism spectrum.

Ms Strachan said she started writing the book after Poppi came home from school sad and upset because other children did not want to play with her. 

Lisa Wachsmuth

The National Disability Insurance Scheme is failing the Illawarra residents who need it most* according to a new study.

Just over a year after the roll-out of the NDIS in the region, the University of Wollongong study found almost one third of participants were not even aware of the scheme.

Rick Morton

A Queensland psychologist ­accused of once leading a New Age cult which promised paying clients the ability to “move between ­dimensions” has been working as an approved provider of a federal autism program since 2015.

Natasha Lakaev — who ran courses through a program called Universal Knowledge from a Northern NSW property known as Omaroo in the early 2000s — once claimed to be a “metaphysician” who could heal HIV and other diseases and later retrained as a psychologist.

Luke Henriques-Gomes

Medical review found only 2% did not meet criteria and scheme would cost more than it saved

The federal government has scrapped a policy to review the medical condition of 90,000 people on the disability support pension (DSP) after less than 2% people were found to be ineligible.

Autism appears in about one per cent of children but because its rarely spotted before the age of three many don't get the early intervention work that could greatly improve their development down the track.

In an Australian first trial to begin next year a team of WA researchers hope to change that and fill a gap for autism early-intervention services.

Rick Morton

A Coalition plan to introduce a new national guideline for autism diagnoses will further raise demand for clinical assessments that already cost thousands of dollars and could end up dis­advantaging children if they are not implemented properly, an ­expert has warned.