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News & Events
Study sheds new light on the ‘autism epidemic’ mysteryResearchers have shown that the so called 'autism epidemic' is due to an increase in the diagnosis of children with less severe behavioural symptoms.

News & Events
AWESOME ASD guide opens the world of art to kids with autismFor kids on the autism spectrum, it’s not always easy to enjoy art without becoming overwhelmed, overstimulated or anxious.

News & Events
National guidelines bring new order to autism diagnosisClinicians across Australia are looking forward to the release of the country’s first national guidelines for the diagnosis of autism.

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The Kids Research Institute Australia researcher a finalist for 2017 Eureka PrizeAutism researcher, Professor Andrew Whitehouse from The Kids has been named a finalist in the Eureka Prize for Emerging Leader in Science

News & Events
New friend to improve social attention of kids with autismAn attention-training game developed by researchers at The Kids Research Institute Australia is helping to improve social skill development in school-aged kids with autism.
Research
Critical Appraisal of Systematic Reviews Assessing Gut Microbiota and Effect of Probiotic Supplementation in Children with ASD—An Umbrella ReviewGiven the significance of gut microbiota in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we aimed to assess the quality of systematic reviews (SRs) of studies assessing gut microbiota and effects of probiotic supplementation in children with ASD. PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Medline, and Cochrane databases were searched from inception to November 2024.
Research
Caregiver perspectives regarding the impact of feeding difficulties on mealtime participation for primary school-aged autistic children and their familiesAlthough up to 89% of autistic children experience feeding difficulties, little is known about the impact of these difficulties on mealtime participation. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of feeding difficulties on the mealtime participation of autistic children and their families based on caregiver experiences.
Research
‘It depends entirely on the nature of those supports’: Community perceptions of the appropriateness of early support services for autistic childrenWe do not know much about what support services people think are okay for young autistic children. This study was a survey of 253 people. We asked autistic adults, parents, and professionals from Australia and New Zealand whether they thought it was okay to provide support services to autistic children.
Research
Absence of association between maternal adverse events and long-term gut microbiome outcomes in the Australian autism biobankMaternal immune activation and prenatal maternal stress are well-studied risk factors for psychiatric conditions such as autism and schizophrenia. Animal studies have proposed the gut microbiome as a mechanism underlying this association and have found that risk factor-related gut microbiome alterations persist in the adult offspring.
Research
Intellectual disability and autism prevalence in Western Australia: impact of the NDISEstimates of the prevalence of intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder may vary depending on the methodology, geographical location, and sources of ascertainment. The National Disability Insurance Scheme in Australia was introduced progressively from 2016 to provide individualized funding for eligible people with a significant and permanent disability.