
Australia's most trusted autism guide, completely updated for 2023, featuring insights from 50+ families and autistic adults. What makes this handbook indispensable? It navigates everything from NDIS to inclusive education, reflecting a cultural shift toward neurodiversity that's transforming how we understand autism.
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That nagging feeling something is different about your child's development - perhaps they don't respond to their name, make eye contact, or engage in the back-and-forth dance of early communication - often marks the beginning of an autism journey. What follows is typically a rollercoaster of evaluations and emotions, culminating in a diagnosis that changes everything and nothing simultaneously. While receiving an autism diagnosis may initially feel overwhelming, these feelings will pass. Life may be different than planned, but not necessarily worse. Autism is fundamentally a neurological difference affecting early development, characterized by two main areas: challenges in social communication/interaction and restricted, repetitive behaviors often accompanied by sensory issues. Children with autism typically struggle with natural back-and-forth sharing of emotions, non-verbal communication, and social play. They may engage in repetitive behaviors (often called "stimming"), prefer sameness and routines, develop intense interests in specific topics, and experience sensory sensitivities. Recent statistics show autism affects approximately 3% of Australian children aged 5-14, with boys diagnosed 3-4 times more frequently than girls - though growing evidence suggests this disparity may reflect diagnostic biases rather than true prevalence differences. With proper interventions and support, people with autism can lead fulfilling lives far from the "life sentence" once portrayed.