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Research
“It Was Such a Different Experience”: a Qualitative Study of Parental Perinatal Experiences When Having a Subsequent Child After Having a Child Diagnosed with AutismChildren who have an older sibling diagnosed with autism have an increased likelihood of being diagnosed with autism or developing broader developmental difficulties. This study explored perinatal experiences of parents of a child diagnosed with autism, spanning pre-conception until the subsequent child’s early developmental period.
Research
Reliability of the Commonly Used and Newly-Developed Autism MeasuresThe aim of the present study was to compare scale and conditional reliability derived from item response theory analyses among the most commonly used, as well as several newly developed, observation, interview, and parent-report autism instruments.
Research
Do sex hormones at birth predict later-life economic preferences? Evidence from a pregnancy birth cohort study: Hormones at birth and preferencesEconomic preferences may be shaped by exposure to sex hormones around birth. Prior studies of economic preferences and numerous other phenotypic characteristics use digit ratios (2D : 4D), a purported proxy for prenatal testosterone exposure, whose validity has recently been questioned. We use direct measures of neonatal sex hormones (testosterone and oestrogen), measured from umbilical cord blood (n = 200) to investigate their association with later-life economic preferences (risk preferences, competitiveness, time preferences and social preferences) in an Australian cohort (Raine Study Gen2).

Communicating with and Understanding your Baby
Research
Co-design of the neurodevelopment assessment scaleNeurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) have high comorbidity rates and shared etiology. Nevertheless, NDD assessment is diagnosis-driven and focuses on symptom profiles of individual disorders, which hinders diagnosis and treatment. There is also no evidence-based, standardized transdiagnostic approach currently available to provide a full clinical picture of individuals with NDDs. The pressing need for transdiagnostic assessment led to the development of the Neurodevelopment Assessment Scale.
Research
The CliniBank Study: A research project to improve future clinical supports for children experiencing developmental difficultiesAndrew Gemma Gail Videos Whitehouse Watch and listen to Andrew Upson Alvares PhD BSc MClinAud MBA PhD Deputy Director (Research); Angela Wright
Research
Early Intervention Delivery Methods for New Zealand Children with Autism: Current Practices Versus Parental PreferencesLittle is known about parent preferences regarding delivery methods of early interventions. This research examined, through parent report, the current and preferred delivery methods of seven common educational early interventions accessed by New Zealand children with autism spectrum disorder.
Research
Discovery of 42 genome-wide significant loci associated with dyslexiaReading and writing are crucial life skills but roughly one in ten children are affected by dyslexia, which can persist into adulthood. Family studies of dyslexia suggest heritability up to 70%, yet few convincing genetic markers have been found.

News & Events
New project to train homeless young people as suicide-alert helpersUp to 50 homeless young people will be provided with training to help them recognise suicidal behaviour and make referrals to potentially life-saving resources, thanks to a grant from Suicide Prevention Australia.

The Healing Kids, Healing Families team strives to understand how trauma and adverse circumstances can impact a child and their family, and how we can help them to recover from these experiences.