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News & Events

Inklings at CliniKids

Inklings is a new program for babies aged 6-18 months who are showing early differences in their social interaction and communication development.

News & Events

Joondalup clinic update

Our new Joondalup clinic opened in late September and has been firing on all cylinders ever since. CliniKids Joondalup has welcomed about 40 new families into the service since opening, with approximately 52 therapy and research appointments scheduled weekly onsite.

News & Events

Clinic shutdown dates

Please note that both the Subiaco and Joondalup clinics will shut down for the Christmas and New Year period from Friday, December 23, through to Wednesday, January 4, inclusive. The clinics will re-open on Thursday, January 5, 2023.

News & Events

New team members!

CliniKids recently welcomed Gayle, Tarryn and Emma to the clinical team. The clinicians will be located out our new Joondalup clinic, which will be welcoming families in Term 4. 

News & Events

Therapy for babies with signs of autism cuts long-term disability costs

New research evaluating the potential cost savings of a therapy for babies displaying early autism signs has predicted a three dollar return to Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for every dollar invested in therapy.

Research

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.

Research

Effect of Preemptive Intervention on Developmental Outcomes Among Infants Showing Early Signs of Autism: A Randomized Clinical Trial of Outcomes to Diagnosis

Intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) typically commences after diagnosis. No trial of an intervention administered to infants before diagnosis has shown an effect on diagnostic outcomes to date.

Research

The Utility of Natural Language Samples for Assessing Communication and Language in Infants Referred with Early Signs of Autism

Natural 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

An Evaluation of the Overall Utility of Measures of Functioning Suitable for School-Aged Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Scoping Review

A diagnosis of an autism spectrum condition (autism) provides limited information regarding an individual’s level of functioning, information key in determining support and funding needs.

Research

Developing an Online Tool to Promote Safe Sun Behaviors With Young Teenagers as Co-researchers

Despite education about the risks of excessive sun exposure, teenagers in Australia are sun-seeking, with sunburn common in summer. Conversely, some regular (time-limited) exposure to sunlight (that avoids sunburn) is necessary for vitamin D and healthy bones and other molecules important for immune and metabolic health. New interventions are thus required to better support teenagers to make healthy and balanced decisions about their sun behaviors.