With schools reopening teachers are reporting a spike in the number of children displaying behavioural problems post COVID-19 lockdown. They have raised concerns that these unwanted behavioural changes can lead to poor academic performances and affect their quality of life. Though there are differences between this type of behaviour and ADHD. Does your child struggle
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When you watch TV, read books, or go to a movie, usually, people on the autism spectrum are portrayed as having special or “savant” skills: a young child who can crack advanced codes, an adult with an astonishing memory, or a musician who can play any tune by ear after a single hearing. Are these
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As the end of the year draws to a close, it should be a happy time for families. We all have struggled through yet another exhausting year of juggling work, home-schooling. Everyone is tired and needs a break. However, holidays may bring another level of exhaustion for families with a child on the autism spectrum. Holidays
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We often talk about how girls are more difficult to diagnose as being on the spectrum as they are good at masking or camouflaging. They copy behaviours and force themselves to behave in a socially acceptable way, reflecting what they see around them. Boy can do this too, but it is more common in girls.
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As Melbourne breaks records for the most extended place in lockdown, it is easy to start comfort eating or sometimes not eating at all. The problem with comfort eating is that it is usually not healthy food, and this can cause weight increases, plus affect your mood, which makes things seem worse. Not eating at
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The school holidays are nearly upon us, and we still don’t know if we can go anywhere. Even if the lockdowns are lifted slightly, it will still mean, odds are, we can’t go far. It has been a really tough term with kids at home, everyone suffering from some form of lockdown stress or mental
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As the pandemic drags on and we are in and out of lockdowns, there are increasing signs this is affecting children and parent’s mental health. All children are particularly vulnerable due to their limited understanding of the pandemic. It is harder for them to communicate their feelings or to understand. In addition, for parents with
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When diagnosing autism, the diagnosis is best made by a multidisciplinary team including a paediatrician (or psychiatrist) a psychologist and a speech pathologist. They will use the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th edition), or DSM-5, produced by the American Psychiatric Association. The DSM-5 lists the signs and symptoms of autism and states how many of these must be
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Many children with autism can exhibit aggression. This aggression can be unexpected outbursts of biting, scratching, kicking, hitting, or destroying property – sadly, it is relatively common with children on the spectrum. It usually stems from a stressful situation, like sensory overload, frustration over communication due to lack of communication skills, unknown environments or a
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Does your child engage in repetitive or unusual body movements or noises? This is called “Stimming” Everyone has some elements of stimming, like – chewing on a pen while you are thinking, tapping your toes while you are going to sleep, and cracking knuckles. There are many things we all do, which could be referred
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