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Research
CNTNAP2 variants affect early language development in the general populationWe tested the hypothesis that these CNTNAP2 variants affect communicative behavior, measured at 2 years of age in a large epidemiological sample...
Research
Early motor function of children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic reviewEarly motor impairments have been reported in children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), but it is not clear if early detection of motor impairments can identify children at risk for NDD or how early such impairments might be detected. Our aim was to characterize early motor function in children later diagnosed with NDD relative to typically developing children or normative data.
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Harmonization of SDQ and ASEBA Phenotypes: Measurement Variance Across CohortsHarmonizing the scores obtained by different instruments that measure the same construct enable researchers to combine them in one analysis. An important step in harmonization is checking whether there is measurement invariance across populations.
Research
Subgroups of Temperament Associated with Social-Emotional Difficulties in Infants with Early Signs of AutismLinks between temperament and social-emotional difficulties are well-established in normative child development but remain poorly characterized in autism. We sought to characterize distinct temperament subgroups and their associations with concurrent internalizing and externalizing symptoms in a sample of 103 infants showing early signs of autism.
People
Andrew WhitehouseDeputy Director (Research); Angela Wright Bennett Professor of Autism Research at The Kids Research Institute Australia; Director, CliniKids
Research
Investigating Parental Observations of Early Autism Development in Simplex and Multiplex FamiliesPast research has highlighted the importance of early identification of developmental differences to improve targeted access to early interventions or supports. As such, it is of particular importance in the context of children at elevated likelihood of autism (such as where an older sibling has a diagnosis of autism), to better understand when and which early concerns are important as predictors of which children will benefit from pre-diagnostic supports.
Research
Empathy and Autism: Establishing the Structure and Different Manifestations of Empathy in Autistic Individuals Using the Perth Empathy ScaleThere is a common mischaracterisation that autistic individuals have reduced or absent empathy. Measurement issues may have influenced existing findings on the relationships between autism and empathy, and the structure of the empathy construct in autism remains unclear.
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Maternal Serum Vitamin D Levels During Pregnancy and Offspring Neurocognitive DevelopmentNew research links poor language to lack of Vitamin D in womb.
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Parent-reported Areas of Greatest Challenge for their ADHD and/or Autistic ChildrenThis study aimed to understand how parents describe the most challenging behaviors exhibited by their children diagnosed with autism and/or ADHD, how those behaviours impact their family, and whether challenges are directly related to the core characteristics of these conditions.