Search
Research
The recruitment and retention of Speech and Language Therapists: What do university students find important?The increasing need for speech and language therapy (SLT) services, coupled with poor employment retention rates, poses serious cost-benefit considerations.
Research
Common variation near ROBO2 is associated with expressive vocabulary in infancyIn this paper we conduct a genome-wide screen and follow-up study of expressive vocabulary in toddlers of European descent from up to four studies of the...
Research
TOBY play-pad application to teach children with ASD-A pilot trial.To investigate use patterns and learning outcomes associated with the use of Therapy Outcomes By You (TOBY. Playpad, an early intervention iPad application.
Research
Maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy and bone mass in offspring at 20 years of age: A prospective cohort studyThis longitudinal, prospective study investigated the association between maternal vitamin D status and peak bone mass of offspring in 341 mother and...
Research
Evidence for Distinct Cognitive Profiles in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Specific Language ImpairmentThis finding supports distinct cognitive profiles in ASD and SLI and may provide further evidence for distinct aetiological mechanisms in the two conditions.
Research
Lack of replication for the myosin-18B association with mathematical ability in independent cohortsTwin studies indicate that dyscalculia (or mathematical disability) is caused partly by a genetic component, which is yet to be understood at the molecular...
Research
Facial asymmetry in parents of children on the autism spectrumGreater facial asymmetry has been consistently found in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) relative to children without ASD. There is substantial evidence that both facial structure and the recurrence of ASD diagnosis are highly heritable within a nuclear family. Furthermore, sub-clinical levels of autistic-like behavioural characteristics have also been reported in first-degree relatives of individuals with ASD, commonly known as the 'broad autism phenotype'.
Research
The Utility of Natural Language Samples for Assessing Communication and Language in Infants Referred with Early Signs of AutismNatural Language Sampling (NLS) offers clear potential for communication and language assessment, where other data might be difficult to interpret. We leveraged existing primary data for 18-month-olds showing early signs of autism, to examine the reliability and concurrent construct validity of NLS-derived measures coded from video-of child language, parent linguistic input, and dyadic balance of communicative interaction-against standardised assessment scores. Using Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT) software and coding conventions, masked coders achieved good-to-excellent inter-rater agreement across all measures.
Research
Toward better characterization of restricted and unusual interests in youth with autismDespite being highly prevalent among people with autism, restricted and unusual interests remain under-researched and poorly understood. This article confirms that restricted interests are very frequent and varied among children and adolescents with autism. It also further extends current knowledge in this area by characterizing the relationship between the presence, number, and type of restricted interests with chronological age, sex, cognitive functioning, and social and communication symptoms.
Research
A Parent-Mediated Intervention for Newborns at Familial Likelihood of Autism: Initial Feasibility Study in the General PopulationDevelopmental theory and previous studies support the potential value of prodromal interventions for infants at elevated likelihood of developing autism. Past research has supported the efficacy of parent-mediated prodromal therapies with infants from as early as 7 months. We outline the rationale for implementing interventions following this model from even earlier in development and report on the feasibility of a novel intervention developed following this model of parent-mediated infant interventions.