Autism in Australia: We Can Do Better

In this course, Professor Cheryl Dissanayake, Director of OTARC, La Trobe University, discusses the importance of and challenges to early diagnosis and intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder. She offers evidence for the significantly better outcomes - not only for children with the disorder, but also their families, and all of society - obtained when diagnosis and intervention occurs well before school begins. A mobile phone app to help parents identify early signs of ASD is described. Professor Dissanayake profiles the Early Start Denver Model, which has been replicated with success in Australia, and also outlines the Dandelion Program, an alternate pathway to meaningful employment in the IT industry for adults on the autism spectrum.