Latest news

We’re delighted to announce the release of the National Framework for assessing children’s functional strengths and support needs in Australia (the Framework). The Framework focuses on professional practice for those working with children aged 0-12 years and their families.

We trust that you will enjoy reading of the many activities, contributions and successes of Autism CRC and its unique national collaboration in our 2023-24 Annual Report.

We're proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Autism CRC Awards for Achievement in Autism Research. The awards were announced at the Autism CRC Annual General Meeting in Brisbane on November 27, 2024.

The Sylvia Rodger Academy hosted its 2024 Governance Program residential workshop in October. Eighteen autistic adults from around Australia gathered to develop their skills in corporate governance.

Nominations for the 2024 Autism CRC Awards for Achievement in Autism Research are now closed.

Members of the Australasian Autism Research Council (AARC) met at the Brisbane Airport Conference Centre in August for a planning day.

Autism CRC's Sylvia Rodger Academy is excited to announce the Autistic Identity and Connection Program for 2024. This Program is available to autistic adults living in select areas of Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.

Autism CRC has conducted a process of co-design, research, and community engagement with its national partner network to support the Australian Government's development of a National Roadmap to Improve the Health and Mental Health of Autistic People.

Around 1,200 researchers met in Melbourne from the 15-18 May for this year’s International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Conference, held in Australia for the first time.

The Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth MP, made the announcement at Daphne St Childcare and Specialist Early Learning Centre in Adelaide at an official launch event on Friday, 19 April 2024.

Autism CRC's Sylvia Rodger Academy is excited to announce that applications for the 2024 Governance Program have now closed.

Autism CRC research, conducted by Autism New Zealand and Victoria University of Wellington, highlights the urgent need to address the many gaps, inconsistencies and barriers to autism supports and services in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Autism CRC's Removing Educational Barriers in Australian Schools (REBAS) for autistic students sought to understand educational strengths and needs of autistic learners and make recommendations for policy, research and practice to progress inclusive education in Australia.

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care is currently developing a National Roadmap to Improve the Health and Mental Health of Autistic People (the Roadmap). The Roadmap is a plan to address the health inequalities and issues that autistic people experience in the health care system.

We are pleased to announce the membership of the Australian Autism Research Council (AARC) for 2024.

In 2023, the AARC engaged with the autistic and autism community to research five research priority areas to be used to guide and inform future research and policy work in Australia.

We were delighted to host Clare Gibellini, Co-chair of the National Autism Strategy Oversight Council, at our Annual General Meeting and post-AGM event on 28 November. Clare gave an enlightening and informed update of the Strategy’s progress.

Announced at at the Australasian Society for Autism Research (ASfAR) conference, the Awards recognised three projects for their outstanding commitment to inclusive research practices and translation of autism research.

Autism CRC has developed an evidence-based framework for assessing, differentiating, and reporting children’s functional strengths and support needs.

Autism CRC is excited to announce the release of the Self-Advocacy  @  Work website. Self-Advocacy @ Work helps autistic people navigate the world of employment, understand workplace rights, and develop self-advocacy skills, through multi-media tools and resources.

George has walked, run and cycled 822km over seven days from Adelaide to Melbourne and has raised over $7500 for autism research!

This ambitious challenge will see George Chijarira raise money for autism research as he walks, runs and cycles Adelaide to Melbourne (covering 726km) in seven days.

Minister for Social Services, the Hon Amanda Rishworth MP, announced the launch of myWAY Employability's new and improved functionality and resources at an event in Adelaide. The enhanced version will make exploration of career choices and team collaboration in the app even easier.

Autism CRC is working with the SA Government and universities, to deliver greater learning in inclusive education practices to pre-service teachers.

In late 2022, Autism CRC was commissioned by the Department of Social Services (DSS), to undertake foundational work to support the co-design and development of the National Autism Strategy.

Autism CRC has been awarded funding from the Commonwealth Government to fund the National Autism Strategy and continue activities under the ILC Grant Program.

In 2022, Autism CRC commissioned an update of the National Guideline for Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism in Australia. The Guideline Development Group has been working to update the Guideline through a review of recent research evidence and community consultation.

Autism CRC’s Sylvia Rodger Academy has recently completed delivery of the Autistic Identity and Connection Program, as well as published evaluation reports for three of its Programs.

The Aotearoa New Zealand Autism Guideline was first developed in 2008 and the Guideline is now in its third edition. A community views survey examined perceptions from members of the autistic and autism community of current supports and services as well as suggested approaches for the future.

George has kindly chosen Autism CRC as the recipient of his fundraising efforts as he takes on the ambitious goal of completing a 726km journey, hiking and biking from Adelaide to Melbourne in just seven days with the aim of raising $50,000 for Autism CRC.

We are proud to announce the opening of the annual Autism CRC Awards for Achievement in Autism Research. The awards recognise and celebrate research and development initiatives that are exemplary of the Autism CRC’s vision, mission and values.

We are excited to announce the launch of our new official Autism CRC podcast. The podcast will bring together all the big ideas from presentations, findings, resources and discussions from previous webinars and events in a new format.

Welcome to the new and improved myWAY Employability! myWAY is more personalised than ever, with a responsive goal builder that helps you get started on the career journey YOU want.

Learn about the SAS Small Group Program and how SAS Facilitators use a range of neurodivergent-affirming approaches to teach new skills with children, their parents, and their teacher’s that makes for meaningful change to families’ lives. Register now for upcoming information sessions.

The Sylvia Rodger Academy's Autistic Identity and Connection Program held its first face-to-face workshop in Melbourne over three days in May with 12 participants in attendance from New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

We’re excited to announce a new professional learning opportunity for you to upskill or enhance your knowledge of best practice implementation of the National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism.

UniSA’s allied health students will be the first in Australia to learn how to implement the National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism, as the University becomes the first hosting partner of Autism CRC’s tailored undergraduate eLearning lecture and activity.

A new study has identified that fat molecules contribute to sleep disturbances in children diagnosed with autism, with results now published in Nature Medicine.

The Draft (updated) National Guideline for Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism is Australia is now available. All members of the community are welcome to provide feedback.

Over forty local and international speakers – many of whom are neurodivergent – provided their expertise and shared their experiences at this year's Autism​ @​ Work Virtual Summit.

The call for Expressions of Interest for the National Autism Strategy Oversight Council and Working Groups closed at 12pm (AEDT) 27 March 2023.

We are pleased to announce the membership of the Australian Autism Research Council (AARC) for 2023. We received a record-breaking 200 expressions of interest for AARC membership.

The guideline for supporting the learning, participation, and wellbeing of autistic children and their families in Australia was launched this morning by Hon. Justine Elliot MP, Assistant Minister for Social Services.

We welcome the Hon. Amanda Rishworth MP, Minister for Social Services, to Brisbane as the Government commences the important task of developing a National Autism Strategy.

It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of Emma Lovell. A much-loved member of the Autism CRC team, Emma was committed to the realisation of our vision and doing so with her constant gifts of quiet support and a smile for her colleagues.

This Annual Report marks a major milestone for Autism CRC, our Members, and other partners. It recognises and celebrates our activities, outputs and unique collaboration over the CRC Program from 2013 to 2022.

inclusionED hosted a series of free webinars in Term 1, 2023 called The Inclusive Classroom! Registrations have now closed.

We congratulate Professor Sandra Jones from Australian Catholic University, who has received Autism CRC’s Award for Achievement in Autism Spectrum Research in Inclusive Autism Research.

Autism CRC has commissioned several new projects since July 1 with our new Member and Affiliate network. Two of the projects seek to fill identified gaps in our understanding of user-defined needs in both education and for those with multiple and complex support and/or communication needs.

The 2022-23 Federal Budget announced the Better Support for People with Disability package in October. This package includes the previously announced $2 million for Autism CRC, with part of that funding to provide for Autism CRC’s support of the Strategy development.

We are inviting all members of the autistic and autism communities to get involved in the update of the National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism.

We are proud to announce the opening of the annual Autism CRC Awards for Achievement in Autism Spectrum Research. The awards recognise and celebrate research and development initiatives that are exemplary of the Autism CRC’s vision, mission and values.

We’re delighted to announce long-time Chief Operating Officer and Clinical Psychologist, Kathleen Davey, as the CEO to lead the newly-named Social Science Translated Pty Ltd (SST).

The Self-Advocacy​@​Work project aims to co-design, develop and disseminate employment self-advocacy resources by, and for, the autistic community. Self-Advocacy​@​Work upskills members of the autistic community in co-design, product development and inclusive practices.

The Autism CRC has today released the draft version of Australia’s first National Guideline for supporting the learning, participation, and wellbeing of autistic children and their families.

We will continue to pursue our vision to see autistic people empowered to use their diverse strengths and interests through our legacy operations.

Autism CRC and the Guideline Development Group wish to thank everyone who has contributed to the initial round of community consultation. The development process is well underway with some stages now completed.

We’re excited to announce the release of the New Zealand edition of The Integrated Employment Success Tool (IEST), which aims to improve employer confidence, employee productivity, job retention and the overall workplace success of autistic people.

Autism CRC welcomes today’s funding commitment by the ALP of $2M to enable Autism CRC to support the development of a National Autism Strategy, while continuing other activities.

Autism CRC welcomes today’s announcement by the Coalition, committing $1.3M funding that would enable us to support development of a National Autism Strategy.

We’re proud to announce the release of the Participatory and Inclusive Autism Research Practice Guides.

The report released on 25 March 2022 shows that there is much work to be done together and Autism CRC looks forward to working with all stakeholders in that endeavour.

Research has found an early screening tool for autism developed by La Trobe University researchers – and trialled as part of an Autism CRC project – is the world’s most effective.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Secret Agent Society managed a rapid transformation of their small group program into a sophisticated digital health system.

Autism CRC’s Kathleen Davey received the 2021 Australian Psychology Society’s inaugural Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the transformation of the Secret Agent Society (SAS) Small Group Program into a digital health system.

Extended consultation activities were released to better include the perspectives of autistic children, autistic young people, and autistic people of all ages who communicate mainly in ways other than speech.

We will be hosting free webinars at the beginning of Term 1, 2022 to introduce early career teachers to inclusionED, a free online professional learning community for educators.

We were excited to launch the Sylvia Rodger Academy alumni online community platform on 18 November 2021, co-designed and developed with alumni as a way for alumni to network professionally with their peers across Programs.

We are pleased to announce the release of the latest report from the Australasian Autism Research Council as well as its membership for next year.

A new Australian collaborative study challenges the growing popular belief that the gut microbiome drives autism.

Autism CRC's 2020-21 Annual Report report summarises the work undertaken by our national and international collaboration, and its impact across the lifespan for our end-user community – autistic individuals and their families, as well as those professionals and organisations that work to support them.

Autism CRC is proud to announce the recipients of the 2021 Autism CRC Awards for Achievement in Autism Spectrum Research. Three projects have received recognition for their outstanding commitment to inclusive research practices and translation of autism research.

Work is underway to develop a national practice guideline for supporting the development and participation of children on the autism spectrum and their families, as previously announced in June 2021.

Australia’s first Autism​@​Work Virtual Summit was a great success, sharing the benefits of a neurodiverse workplace and exploring how to achieve Sustainable Programs, Sustainable Employment for employers and employees.

Chloe Yap is a PhD candidate, medical student, Fulbright Future Scholar, and Medical Leadership Program graduate at the University of Queensland. She's working with “big data” from the Australian Autism Biobank, to hopefully find biological markers that can improve autism diagnosis.

A parent-led therapy that supports babies displaying early signs of autism has significantly reduced their social and communication difficulties, according to world-first research led by CliniKids at the Telethon Kids Institute and funded by the WA Children’s Research Fund, Autism CRC, La Trobe University, and the Angela Wright Bennett Foundation.

Nominations for the annual Autism CRC Awards for Achievement in Autism Spectrum Research are now closed and winners will be publicly announced in November 2021.

Katharine is a registered Developmental Educator, a Casual Academic at Flinders University, and has served on local and national not-for-profit boards for over 20 years. These include incorporated associations and companies limited by guarantee, in the Disability and Arts industries, and National Disabled People’s Organisations.

Autism CRC and Queensland University of Technology (QUT) officially launched two ‘sister’ books published by Routledge at Autism in Education Showcase and Book Launch event on 16 July.

As part of the upcoming Australian Autism@Work Virtual Summit (24-25 August 2021), we will be holding a virtual exhibition and would like to showcase the latest in autism employment research as part of this exhibition.

The new guideline will be developed in close collaboration with professionals and the community, guided by a reference group comprising representatives of the key stakeholder communities (including autistic individuals, parents/siblings/caregivers, practitioners and professional peak bodies).

We’re excited to begin work on two new major projects to help improve health services and education and employment outcomes for autistic Australians. Both projects build upon and deepen the impact of some major assets successfully delivered under the CRC Program.

We’re excited to announce the release of The Integrated Employment Success Tool: An evidence-based guide for autistic adults (IEST), which aims to improve employer confidence, employee productivity, job retention and the overall workplace success of autistic people.

A new iPad app is now available to help children, including those on the autism spectrum, harness their writing potential.

Clarification on the relationship between Autism CRC's report 'Interventions for children on the autism spectrum: A synthesis of research evidence' and the National Disability Insurance Agency’s recently released 'Consultation Paper: Interventions for children on the autism spectrum'.

The Australian Government has announced today that Autism CRC is to receive $6 million for two major projects to help improve health services and education and employment outcomes for autistic Australians under the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) program.

According to ABS 2018 data, more than one third of people on the autism spectrum are unemployed. This global survey study investigated the challenges, learnings and best practices that organisations have in sustaining and scaling skilled autism employment.

For the last 10+ years, the Secret Agent Society (SAS) program has been evolving as it transforms children’s lives worldwide. Now it is time to step into the future.

Results from Autism CRC’s latest research have led to recommendations for improving best practice in the identification, diagnosis, and ongoing supports for people on the autism spectrum in New Zealand.

Autism HealthPathways are now available for adoption and adaptation in 43 health regions, caring for more than 28 million people across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

The inclusionED team has been busy, recently releasing three new teaching practices in time for the 2021 school year.

Autism CRC is proud to announce the recipients of the 2020 Autism CRC Awards for Achievement in Autism Spectrum Research.

We’re pleased to announce the launch of a new National Guideline Implementation Toolkit to help clinicians to upskill and deliver the recommendations in the National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Australia.

Autism CRC’s 2019-20 Annual Report is now available. We approached this year with a focus on completing our current program with an emphasis on the translation and utilisation of our project outputs for impact in our user community; and the transition of our assets and activities to a legacy operation beyond the CRC term.

We were delighted by the response to the official premiere event of our Quality of Life Photovoice Gallery in November. This unique research output offers an insight into what affects quality of life for autistic adults, told from their own perspective, through photography and spoken word.

We are pleased to announce the publication of a landmark report for families, clinicians, researchers and policy makers, which synthesises the best available high-quality evidence about interventions for children on the autism spectrum aged up to 12 years.

We asked some of our recent graduating scholars about their research, where they are now and what being be part of Autism CRC meant to them. In this article we hear from Dr Aspasia Stacey Rabba.

We are delighted to announce the official premiere of our Quality of Life Photovoice Gallery. This unique research output offers an insight into what affects quality of life for autistic adults, told from their own perspective, through photography and spoken word.

One final session of myWAY Employability training in 2020 is now available.

We are proud to announce the opening of the annual Autism CRC Awards for Achievement in Autism Spectrum Research. The awards are open to all organisations and researchers and recognise achievements in inclusive research practice and the translation of autism research into practice, products, policy and programs that benefit the autistic and broader autism communities.

"Don't limit yourself. Go higher. Think bigger." That’s the advice 20-year-old Liam Picen has for other autistic young people planning for their working life. myWAY Employability is Autism CRC’s latest offering and was launched in August by Jackie Coates, Head of Telstra Foundation.

Autism CRC is thrilled to be launching myWAY Employability, a smart web platform designed specifically to help young people on the autism spectrum plan and prepare for their working life.

We are pleased to welcome two more organisations to Autism CRC’s Research Co-production Partner Initiative: University of Wollongong and University of New South Wales.

Autism CRC’s Autistic Voices - Influencing Change webinar, brought together four autistic leaders who are effecting change through their work, advocacy and personal pursuits. The discussion provided tips for finding opportunities for collaboration and great insights into how to make...

We are delighted to announce the release of inclusionED, a major new online professional learning community for educators. The platform was launched by the Hon. Dan Tehan MP, Minister for Education, via an online event on Monday 18 May.

The revolutionary Secret Agent Society (SAS) suite of programs and tools, which help children build resilience and social-emotional skills, are now available through online, telehealth and distance education options.

The myWAY Employability development team recently took an early version of their smart web application out for user testing at two large metropolitan schools, to get detailed feedback from students on the autism spectrum.

The Autism Teen Wellbeing website provides resources and strategies to help build protective factors against depression and anxiety for these vulnerable young people by cultivating a sense of belonging and the ability to regulate emotions in the face of stress.

Autism CRC is looking for autistic employees and their employers and co-workers, supervisors across a variety of roles, industries to contribute to our research by participating in studies around autism in the workplace.

Autism CRC subsidiary Social Skills Training (SST) is excited to announce that Essential Participant Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) has committed to a five-year rollout of the Secret Agent Society (SAS) Small Group Program.

With the support of $450,000 from Telstra Foundation, Autism CRC is developing myWAY Employability, a smart web application that helps young people on the autism spectrum to plan and prepare for their working life.

The Sylvia Rodger Academy’s inaugural Governance Program is well underway with 14 participants from across Australia attending a 3.5 day residential workshop in Melbourne last month. The Governance Program is the first national training program in corporate governance for autistic...

We are pleased to announce the membership of the Australian Autism Research Council (AARC) for 2020. We were truly excited by the unprecedented response to our call-out last year, which resulted in 100 Expressions of Interest being received from across...

A recent Macquarie University study has demonstrated the significant impact of Autism CRC’s current investment program on the autism research landscape in Australia.

The purpose of this study was to understand what was associated with loneliness in autistic adults compared with non-autistic adults. Using data from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Autistic Adults (ALSAA), the study gathered questionnaires from 252 autistic and 146 non-autistic adults aged 25+ years from across Australia.

Autism CRC is proud to announce the winners of the 2019 Autism CRC Awards for Achievement in Autism Spectrum Research.

Autism CRC and Autism Queensland have teamed up with students from the Studio G creative design program for young people on the autism spectrum to create a new illustrated Goal Setting Tool for Adolescents and Adults.

Autism CRC's Sylvia Rodger Academy is proud to partnering with Aspect to deliver the 2019 Future Leaders Program. Over the coming months, the participants will put into practice their learnings.

The first-known evidence-based clinical care pathways for people on the autism spectrum across their lifespan are now a reality, with the launch of the Autism HealthPathways Initiative in Mackay on 31 August.

The Autism CRC Awards for Achievement in Autism Spectrum Research recognise and celebrate research and development initiatives that exemplify the Autism CRC’s vision, mission and values.

Almost 200 people turned out to this year’s Autism@Work Summit to learn about and share the benefits of transitioning to a neurodiverse workplace.

The first rigorous trial of a pre-emptive behavioural intervention for babies showing early signs of autism has found the therapy can improve early language development.

This stage of the community consultation process is now closed. The outcomes will help guide the future focus of autism research activities and research funding in Australia.

In early April Autism CRC Participants attended a one-day workshop in Brisbane. Participant Day 2019 was attended by over 90 people representing 27 organisations, including 13 Essential Participants and more than 20 alumni from the Academy Research and Future Leaders...

Autism CRC is hosting four webinars in April as part of Autism Month 2019. Spaces are limited, so we recommend you register today.

Autism CRC is currently undertaking several longitudinal studies which will provide data and baselines to aid the development of future tools, practice and policy for people on the autism spectrum. These include longitudinal studies on: Australian pre-school aged children on...

It is with great pleasure that we are able to announce the start of a new partnership between our two organisations, the Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC) and Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect), to deliver the Future Leaders Program in 2019 and 2020.

New Autism CRC research, published in the leading academic journal Autism Research, has found that the comparative mortality of people on the autism spectrum is twice that of the general population.

Congratulations to Autism CRC's very own Tori Haar who has just been recognised by the Westpac Scholars Trust for her work as an autistic leader, public speaker and change maker. The Trust recognised 10 outstanding social innovators, awarding each with...

We are pleased to announce our first official Autism CRC Research Co-production Partners: Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect), Macquarie University, University of Southern Queensland

Partnership aims to deliver positive change to lives of people on the autism spectrum We are pleased to officially welcome University of Wollongong (UOW) as the newest participant of Autism CRC and look forward to their contributions to our unique...

Two projects received recognition at the annual Autism CRC Awards for Achievement in Autism Spectrum Research for their outstanding commitment to inclusive research practices and translation of autism research: Goal Setting Tool for Adolescents and Adults and National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism.

Using the findings of Autism CRC’s latest research for educators will soon be easier with the development of a dynamic e-learning portal. The website, which is in development, will help teachers and professionals to support students with a range of...

The Autism@Work Summit, presented by Autism CRC, DXC Technology and ANZ, was held in October 2018, proudly supported by sponsors Symantec, SAP and Peoplebank.

Earlier this year, we announced the outcome of our Autism CRC 2017-18 Investment Round, with six projects from across Australia and New Zealand successfully receiving investments. Projects were assessed based on their addressing Autism CRC's milestones and utilisation of existing...

The Sylvia Rodger Academy was officially launched at a special Autism CRC event on Thursday 1 November at the Institute of Social Sciences Research, University of Queensland.

We were delighted to celebrate the graduation of our 14 Future Leaders from the 2018 program at a special Autism CRC event on Thursday 1 November at the Institute of Social Sciences Research, University of Queensland.

Autism CRC hosted its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 1 November 2018 at the University of Queensland’s Institute for Social Science Research.

We are very pleased to let you know that the National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Australia was officially released this morning.

We are thrilled to announce our four prize recipients for our Autism CRC Digital Art Celebration.

Australia's first holistic leadership capacity building program for adults on the autism spectrum is well underway, with 14 autistic adults (pictured left) coming together for a three-day residential workshop to develop their leadership and community advocacy skills.

Autism CRC has developed a working relationship with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to facilitate relevant research that will assist with consistent autism diagnosis across Australia and identify interventions that will contribute to positive outcomes for individuals with an autism diagnosis.

In recognition of its impact, Autism CRC's Secret Agent Society (SAS) program was recognised at the prestigious national CRC Association Awards for Excellence in Innovation.

We are pleased to announce we are establishing an Australian Autism Research Council to review and determine national priorities for autism research and address areas of need for the autistic and autism communities

We are pleased to announce we are now accepting applications from organisations that demonstrate commitment to research co-production on a sustained basis and would like to be recognised as Autism CRC Research Co-Production Partners.

We are pleased to announce a new, online Autism@Work employer roundtable is being developed by us and our partners, DXC Technology, ANZ, SAP, Peoplebank and Symantec, to help employers continue to invest in neurodiversity employment programs to benefit people on the autism spectrum.

Autism CRC would like to offer a heartfelt congratulations to our scholar, Anna Urbanowicz, for receiving the highly prized Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship to work on improving the hospital experience for adult patients on the autism spectrum.

Autism CRC hosted four webinars in April as part of Autism Month 2018 and recordings of these webinars are now available.

We are delighted to announce that our Autism CRC Digital Art Celebration 2018 is now open for entries.

Final consultation on Australia’s first national diagnostic guideline for autism closed late last year, and the revised draft is now with the steering committee for feedback.

In September 2017, Autism CRC was pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Valsamma Eapen as Director of Program 1, Early Years.

Autism CRC was delighted to sponsor the first inaugural state-based Australasian Society for Autism Research (ASfAR) state conference.

Released today, the 2017 MoneyMinded Impact Report from RMIT University, commissioned by ANZ, is one of the first in Australia to explore the issues related to financial wellbeing for people living with disability and their carers.

Autism CRC is pleased to announce the election of Professor Robert van Barneveld as Chair of the Autism CRC Board.

Autism CRC is pleased to announce that Macquarie University has become one of our Other Participants, with pre-eminent autism researcher Professor Liz Pellicano leading the collaboration.

Autism CRC hosted its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 2 November 2017 at the University of Queensland’s Institute for Social Science Research. On the night we shared our milestones and achievements with board members, staff and participants.

The Autism@Work Forum, presented by Autism CRC and DXC.Technology, was held in September 2017 at the ICC Sydney.

On 7 September 2017, Australia’s first draft national guideline for autism diagnosis was released for consultation.

Autism CRC is developing a new leadership program for 2018. The program is the result of a follow-up evaluation of the 2013 Future Leaders program and the first two Autism CRC Research Academy national workshops.

The annual Autism CRC Awards for Achievement in Autism Research recognise and celebrate research and development initiatives that are exemplary of Autism CRC’s vision, mission and values.

Autism CRC is proud to announce that Autism New Zealand has become one of our Essential Participants.

Autism CRC is pleased to announce that Professor Andrew Whitehouse will lead its comprehensive whole-of-life research program, as its new Chief Research Officer.

On 9 June, family, colleagues, students and the autistic and autism community gathered in Brisbane to celebrate the life and outstanding achievements of Autism CRC’s Research and Education Director, Professor Sylvia Rodger AM.

Spotlight on Autism Research is a webinar series held throughout the year which provides up-to-date information on autism research across our three research programs including webinars focused on the autistic voice in research.

An Australian-first research project to evaluate and manualise a peer mentoring program for university students is now complete. The program, developed at Curtin University, is available to all Australian universities.

Executive Chef, Dominique Rizzo, has worked with researchers from Autism CRC to evaluate classes designed specifically for adults on the spectrum to learn vital cooking and nutritional skills.

We are extending the reach of the Autism CRC Education Research Program activities and outputs through the Commonwealth Positive Partnerships program.

As part of our Education Research Program, Autism CRC researchers are looking for classrooms to begin trialling a whole of classroom version of the highly successful social skills training program, the Secret Agent Society (SAS).

As 2016 comes to a close, we have taken a look back at a year of significant achievement and progress.