A new shift in research to understand autism as neurodiversity is necessary to help autistic people thrive, says a Melbourne autism researcher.
Dr Josephine Barbaro, an associate professor at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC) at La Trobe University, says understanding autism as a neurobiological difference is a more positive approach to autism than viewing it as a disorder.
“We’re at a point in time where there is a huge shift in the way in which many of us were trained in autism, which was a deficit-based medical model of autism. We’re now looking at research that is about positively impacting individuals on the spectrum.”
New research should focus on working with autistic people to co-produce research and upskill researchers with autism to lead autism research. This is a strengths-based approach to supporting neurodivergent people, where researchers “work with and alongside autistic people rather than them being participants in research”, says Dr Barbaro.
Understanding autism as neurodiversity is based on the social model of disability, which stipulates that people are disabled by attitudes and structures in society rather than a medical condition.
Dr Barbaro says framing autism as a “neurological brain difference” is imperative to “structuring our environment in a way that all bodies and brains can navigate the world effortlessly.”
“Just as we build ramps for wheelchair users, we need to build the world in a way that accommodates autistic people’s sensory differences.”
Helping people with neurodivergent brains thrive needs to start early in life. The SACS tool, developed by Dr Barbaro, is the world’s most effective screening tool for early autism detection with the ability to identify 96 per cent of preschool age children.
The screening tool equips professionals with skills necessary to navigate “early signs of autism when they engage with children, and to have conversations with parents of children identified with a higher likelihood of autism”, says Dr Barbaro.
Dr Melissa Gilbert, an autism researcher at OTARC, says early autism detection is crucial to assist neurodivergent children and their families to access supports.
“For children on the spectrum, the earlier they’re able to access supports and services like OTs, psychologists, and supported playgroups, the better their outcomes in life.”
Early detection in preschool children can minimise or prevent detrimental mental health impacts within the autistic community.
“Knowing they’re autistic and understanding what that means helps them because they don’t see it as a bad difference. They know it’s a positive difference and they’re proud of their autistic identity.”
Vicki Gibbs, National Manager Aspect Research Centre for Autism, says autism research in Australia has come a long way in the past decade with the rise of the neurodiversity movement.
“Research has begun to investigate how cultural, societal and physical aspects of various environments impact on the quality of life of autistic people and incorporate the perspectives and priorities of autistic people when designing and undertaking research.”
OTARC recently received a $45 million donation from the late Olga Tennison to fund future autism research, which is one of the largest single donations to a tertiary education provider. The number of people living with autism in Australia has increased in recent years, with the majority experiencing difficulties at school.
Featured image: Dr Josephine Barbaro conducts a development assessment with a child. Photo: La Trobe University.
