Draft (updated) Guideline – community consultation now open

Autism CRC has been hard at work updating the National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism in Australia to ensure that it continues to reflect the latest evidence from academic literature, and practitioner and community wisdom.

The process has involved a review of research published since 2018, as well as online survey and focus groups to understand community views.

The draft was released this World Autism Month and is open for six weeks to all members of the community who want to provide feedback and closes on Monday 29 May 2023.

The Draft (updated) National Guideline, associated documents and feedback portal can be accessed from the Guideline Update page on the Autism CRC website.

Go to the Guideline Update page

New metabolic research addresses sleep problems in children

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

The Autism CRC study – led by Mater Research and The University of Queensland (UQ) – used data and samples from the Australian Autism Biobank.

Watch the video explainer

Summit builds capability of employers

Thank you to the almost 1,000 people who registered for the Autism@Work Virtual Summit and those who joined us over the two days. It was an inspiring and thought-provoking summit and we thank everyone who shared their knowledge, skills and stories to make this such a successful event.

A huge thanks to our presenters, panellists and event sponsors. If you registered for the event, but missed any part, recordings are now available through the cvent platform.

inclusionED: Supporting Diverse Learners

Six new teaching practices to share

inclusionED has six brand-new inclusive teaching practices that can support the needs of your diverse learners:

Now is the time to incorporate new ways of teaching that can support every learner in your classroom.

Join inclusionED

National Autism Strategy update

Autism CRC continues to provide advice to support to the Commonwealth Department of Social Services (DSS) for the development of a National Autism Strategy. In March, Expressions for Interest went out for the National Autism Strategy’s Oversight Council and supporting Working Groups. This exciting opportunity for autistic people and representatives from the autism community ensures the voices of autistic people, their families and those that work to support them are at the heart of the strategy.

Other work includes coordination of a community views survey, focus groups and interviews with community members to support co-design of the strategy.

You can stay up to date by heading over to the DSS website.

New tailored undergraduate eLearning lecture

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 new tailored undergraduate eLearning lecture and activity.

The training will ensure that undergraduate students studying speech pathology, psychology, and occupational therapy, clearly understand the key elements of the assessment and diagnosis pathway, as outlined in the Guideline.

inclusionED webinars recordings now available

The Term 1 Inclusive Classroom webinar series has wrapped up. Thank you to the almost 10,000 people who registered for the series. Our wonderful speakers and presenters discussed some hotly anticipated topics, and we received overwhelmingly positive feedback about the series. We hope you enjoyed it and have started implementing some of the suggested strategies to support your diverse learners!

Recordings of the webinars are available now to registered users on the inclusionED site.

Go to inclusionED

Autistic Identity & Connection Workshops begin

In November 2022, Autism CRC’s Sylvia Rodger Academy launched the Autistic Identity and Connection Program. This Program was developed by autistic adults - for autistic adults who would like to explore their autistic identity and connect with other autistic people and community. Forty-five applicants from NSW, Victoria and Tasmania have now been selected for the Program and will cover topics such as the autistic experience, wellbeing, and self-advocacy over the coming months.

The Autistic Identity and Connection Program is delivered in partnership with Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) and funded by DSS.

Global SAS network reaches new milestone

Over 5,000 Cadets have joined the Secret Agent Society (SAS) since January 2021 when the digital edition of SAS Small Group started. Congratulations to everyone, your services are making a real impact on many families in the community.

The espionage-themed program engages 8–12-year-olds in social and emotional development through gamified learning, skill generalisation, reward systems, and interactive clinician-led sessions.

Find out more

Neurodiversity Placements Program

La Trobe University’s Neurodiversity Placement Program offers students 100 hours of professional experience with a placement host, with the goal of enhancing their employability after graduation.

In some cases, once students complete their Neurodiversity Project Placement as an elective subject, they can opt to complete the Industry Placements Minor. Students in this minor can be matched with an industry partner who is interested in Neurodiversity.

Community views survey closing soon

As part of the development of the National Autism Strategy, we’re coordinating research into the views and experiences of autistic people (aged 18+), their families and carers and the people who work with them.

Complete the questionnaire to share your views and experiences and help us to provide community input to those developing the National Autism Strategy. Consultation closes at 4pm (AEST) on Friday 5 May.

Find out more

Start the survey

Established in 2013, Autism CRC is the world’s first national, cooperative research effort focused on autism. We are the independent national source of evidence for best practice in relation to autism across the lifespan and the spectrum.

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hello@autismcrc.com.au

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