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Commentary: Are we expecting too much from the extreme male brain theory of autism? A reflection on Kung et al. (2016)

This commentary highlights inconsistent findings that undermine the extreme male brain theory autism but data may not present an adequate test of the hypothesis

Evidence of a reduction over time in the behavioral severity of autistic disorder diagnoses

This 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

Reduced goal-directed action control in autism spectrum disorder

Investigate whether impairments in the ability to execute flexible goal-directed actions may be an underlying feature in ASD contributing to these symptoms

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorder

We examine the level of comorbidity found between Autism spectrum disorder and Schizophrenia spectrum disorders at a clinical and trait level

Autism Early Intervention Providers: Their Priorities, Use of Empirically Supported Practices, and Professional Development Needs

Autism early intervention research has indicated a research-to-practice gap, including continued use of practices with inadequate research support, and insufficient use of empirically supported practices. The present study explored the processes and mechanisms through which providers working with young children on the autism spectrum learn, select, and implement the various practices in their clinical repertoires. 

Caregiver broader autism phenotype does not moderate the effect of early caregiver-mediated support on infant language outcomes

Caregiver-mediated supports in general have shown mixed evidence for enhancing language outcomes in infants at higher likelihood of autism. While caregivers play a substantial role in caregiver-mediated supports, little is known about whether caregivers' own subclinical autistic features - known as broader autism phenotype - may moderate infant language outcomes. 

Accuracy of a 2-minute eye-tracking assessment to differentiate young children with and without autism

Eye-tracking could expedite autism identification/diagnosis through standardisation and objectivity. We tested whether Gazefinder autism assessment, with Classification Algorithm derived from gaze fixation durations, would have good accuracy (area under the curve [AUC] ≥ 0.80) to differentiate 2-4-year-old autistic from non-autistic children.

Dr Kandice Varcin

Senior Research Fellow

David Trembath

Head of Autism Research; Senior Principal Research Fellow

Investigating Parental Observations of Early Autism Development in Simplex and Multiplex Families

Past research has highlighted the importance of early identification of developmental differences to improve targeted access to early interventions or supports. As such, it is of particular importance in the context of children at elevated likelihood of autism (such as where an older sibling has a diagnosis of autism), to better understand when and which early concerns are important as predictors of which children will benefit from pre-diagnostic supports.