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A "bottom-up" approach to aetiological research in autism spectrum disorders

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are currently diagnosed in the presence of impairments in social interaction and communication, and a restricted range of...

Autism spectrum disorder in children born preterm: Role of exposure to perinatal inflammation

This review aims to summarise and evaluate the potential mechanisms and evidence for the role of prenatal infection on the central nervous system, and how it...

Maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy and offspring eating disorder risk in adolescence

This is the first study to link low gestational vitamin D to increased eating disorder risk in female offspring of Caucasian mothers.

Evidence for Distinct Cognitive Profiles in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Specific Language Impairment

This finding supports distinct cognitive profiles in ASD and SLI and may provide further evidence for distinct aetiological mechanisms in the two conditions.

Associations between Handedness and Cerebral Lateralisation for Language: A Comparison of Three Measures in Children

It has been suggested that quantitative measures of differential hand skill or reaching preference may provide more valid measures than traditional...

Is autism one or multiple disorders?

Elucidating the underlying nature of the disorder(s) is a crucial step towards tailoring intervention to the biological and cognitive makeup of each individual.

Delivery at 37 weeks' gestation is associated with a higher risk for child behavioural problems

We suggest that 37 weeks' gestation may not be the optimal cutoff for defining perinatal risk as it applies to behavioural development.

Brief Report: Do the Nature of Communication Impairments in Autism Spectrum Disorders Relate to the Broader Autism Phenotype in Parents?

This research explored the relationship between the broader autism phenotype (BAP) among parents, an index of genetic liability for ASD, and proband...

Investigating the impact of developmental coordination difficulties across home, school, and community settings: Findings from the Australian Impact for DCD survey

To evaluate the participation difficulties experienced by children with developmental coordination disorder in home, school, and community environments.

Investigating associations between birth order and autism diagnostic phenotypes

Birth order effects have been linked to variability in intelligence, educational attainment and sexual orientation. First- and later-born children have been linked to an increased likelihood of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, with a smaller body of evidence implicating decreases in cognitive functioning with increased birth order. The present study investigated the potential association between birth order and ASD diagnostic phenotypes in a large and representative population sample.