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News & Events
Autism researcher named 40 under 40 finalistAndrew Whitehouse has been listed in the WA Business News 40 under 40 awards recognising accomplished and dynamic young leaders in Western Australia.

News & Events
The Kids researcher among Top 5 Under 40Congratulations to Gail Alvares from our Autism research team who has been named as one the ABC's Top 5 Under 40 scientists in residence.
News & Events
Hormones in utero influence facial structureHormone levels in the womb may determine how masculine or feminine your facial features are as an adult, The Kids Research Institute Australia researchers have found.
News & Events
New study shows fetal head size could link to autismResearch has found a link between children with larger head measurements in-utero and a subsequent diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as toddlers.

Research
Multigenerational Familial and Environmental Risk for Autism (MINERvA) NetworkThe MINERvA Network will allow more accurate and precise determination of the contributions of familial and environmental factors to the etiology of autism.
Research
The associations between autistic and communication traits in parents and developmental outcomes in children at familial risk of autism at 6 and 24 months of ageSeveral studies have explored relationships between parent broader autism phenotype and offspring communication, and have reported that autistic-like traits in parents are related to offspring communication difficulties and autism severity. However, past research has focused on studying such associations in childhood and we know very little about them in infancy. With accumulating evidence that interventions administered during infancy may be most effective in reducing ASD symptoms, it is imperative to examine whether relationships between parent autistic-like traits and child communication appear even earlier during this critical period of life.
Research
An investigation of adherence to best practice guidelines for autism diagnosis in New ZealandMany clinicians in New Zealand do not follow guidelines for best practice in autism diagnosis. In this study, we investigated the processes that health professionals in New Zealand follow when diagnosing autistic children and adults. We asked 117 health professionals from a range of services and regions in New Zealand, how they identify and diagnose autism.
Research
Validation of a novel theory of mind measurement tool: The social robot video taskSocial communication difficulties in autism spectrum disorder have been associated with poor Theory of Mind (ToM), an ability to attribute mental states to others. Interventions using humanoid robots could improve ToM that may generalize to human-human interactions. Traditionally, ToM has been measured using the Firth-Happe Animations (FHA) task which depicts interactions between two animated triangles.
Research
Evidence of a reduction over time in the behavioral severity of autistic disorder diagnosesThis study provides the first clear evidence of a reduction over time in the behavioral severity of individuals diagnosed with Autistic Disorder during a period of stability in diagnostic criteria
Research
Reduced goal-directed action control in autism spectrum disorderInvestigate whether impairments in the ability to execute flexible goal-directed actions may be an underlying feature in ASD contributing to these symptoms