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An evidence-based framework for determining the optimal amount of intervention for autistic childrenThe provision of timely, effective, and socially valid non-pharmacological intervention is at the core of efforts to support the development of young autistic children. These efforts are intended to support children to develop skills, empower their caregivers, and lay the foundation for optimal choice, independence, and quality of life into adulthood.
Research
A national harmonised data collection network for neurodevelopmental disorders: A transdiagnostic assessment protocol for neurodevelopment, mental health, functioning and well-beingChildren with neurodevelopmental disorders share common phenotypes, support needs and comorbidities. Such overlap suggests the value of transdiagnostic assessment pathways that contribute to knowledge about research and clinical needs of these children and their families.
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
Development of a Model of Care resource for FASD in the justice systemThis article describes the development of a Model of Care resource to support youth involved with the justice system where a neurodevelopmental disability such as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is suspected. Service staff within the Youth Justice sector were engaged in an iterative process of resource development over a 9-month period.
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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Predictors of Change in Wellbeing and Mental Health of Parents of Autistic Pre-SchoolersParenting is a rewarding experience but is not without its challenges. Parents of Autistic children face additional challenges, and as a result can experience lower levels of wellbeing and more mental health problems (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress). Previous studies have identified concurrent correlates of wellbeing and mental health.
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Developmental Vitamin D Deficiency in Pregnant Rats Does Not Induce PreeclampsiaPreeclampsia is a pregnancy disorder characterized by hypertension. Epidemiological studies have associated preeclampsia with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, such as autism and schizophrenia. Preeclampsia has also been linked with maternal vitamin D deficiency, another candidate risk factor also associated with autism.
Research
Co-design of a neurodevelopment assessment scale: A study protocolNeurodevelopmental disorders are a heterogeneous group of conditions with overlapping symptomatology and fluctuating developmental trajectories that transcend current diagnostic categorisation. There is a need for validated screening instruments which dimensionally assess symptomatology from a holistic, transdiagnostic perspective.
Research
Caregiver sensitivity predicts infant language use, and infant language complexity predicts caregiver language complexity, in the context of possible emerging autismWhile theory supports bidirectional effects between caregiver sensitivity and language use, and infant language acquisition-both caregiver-to-infant and also infant-to-caregiver effects-empirical research has chiefly explored the former unidirectional path. In the context of infants showing early signs of autism, we investigated prospective bidirectional associations with 6-min free-play interaction samples collected for 103 caregivers and their infants (mean age 12-months; and followed up 6-months later).
Research
Parent-reported Early Atypical Development and Age of Diagnosis for Children with Co-occurring Autism and ADHDAutism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often co-occur. This survey of 288 New Zealand parents of children diagnosed with autism, ADHD, or both conditions, examined the relations between age of diagnosis and early atypical development, the age specialist consultation was needed and types of specialists seen.