Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre

What will the Australian Autism Knowledge Hub actually do?

Professor Dawn Adams, incoming Director of the Hub, explains how the Australian Autism Knowledge Hub will help turn autism research into practical tools, guidance and resources that can support better decisions across policy, services and everyday life.

Based at La Trobe University’s Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, the Hub will bring together Autistic people, families, researchers, service providers and communities to help make autism research more useful, accessible and connected to real-world needs.

https://vimeo.com/1187929164?fl=ip&fe=ec

What will the Hub do? This is "What will the Hub do?" by Olga Tennison on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

We have some exciting news - The Australian Government has announced the establishment of the Australian Autism Knowledge Hub at La Trobe University’s Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre.
The Hub is a new national initiative with a clear goal: turning autism research into real-world change for Autistic people, families, carers, practitioners, policymakers and communities.

The Hub will support Autistic-led and co-produced research, help identify what works, highlight gaps in knowledge, and develop tools, frameworks and guidance that can be used in policy and practice.

It will bring together Autistic people, families, researchers, service providers, governments and community organisations to make autism research more useful, accessible and practical.
Most importantly, the Hub will be co-designed with Autistic people and the broader autism community, so lived experience is central to its priorities, decisions and outcomes.

We’re proud that OTARC will help lead this important national work from La Trobe University, building on our long-standing commitment to research that makes a practical difference.
Read the announcement here: https://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/articles/2026/release/autism-hub-turns-research-into-real-world-support

Is your baby aged 6–18 months communicating or interacting differently?

We’re running a study to learn how young children with different ways of communicating are supported in the community.

Taking part involves answering questionnaires, taking short videos of you and your child interacting, and recording the support services you use over one year.

You’ll receive a gift card and families will be able to access a free autism assessment at the end of the study.

Follow the link for more information: https://redcap.link/early_childhood_paths

Learn more about Bus Stop Films' Accessible Filmmaking Program with this free info session. Bus Stop Films is a disability led non-profit social enterprise that provides services to individuals with disability and others from marginalised communities. 🎬

Read more below.

🎬 SAVE THE DATE – SCHOOL LEAVERS INFO SESSION

Wondering what life after school could look like?

Join us for an online information session designed for school leavers and young adults with intellectual disability or autism who are interested in learning more about Bus Stop Films' Accessible Filmmaking Program.

📅 Wednesday 1 July 2026
⏰ 6:00pm – 7:00pm AEST
📍 Online via Zoom

Discover how our accessible filmmaking program supports young people to build confidence, develop new skills, make meaningful connections and explore pathways into the screen industry.

You’ll hear about opportunities to:

✨ Make friends and meet like-minded people
✨ Build work-ready skills and employment pathways
✨ Develop listening, communication and teamwork skills
✨ Make creative and industry connections
✨ Build social connections and independence
✨ Learn about filmmaking and create a short film!

All sessions are Auslan interpreted.

Session Details

📅 Date: Wednesday 1 July 2026
⏰ Time: 6:00pm – 7:00pm (AEST – Sydney time)
📍 Where: Online via Zoom

Register to attend:
https://events.humanitix.com/online-info-session-school-leavers-2027-accessible-filmmaking-program

Or visit our Linktree in bio.

This is a great opportunity to meet our team, ask questions and find out whether the Accessible Filmmaking Program is right for you.

Enrolments for the 2027 Accessible Filmmaking Program open in October 2026.

For more information, visit busstopfilms.com.au/programs.

Image description: A promotional graphic with a teal background featuring three people standing around a professional video camera on a tripod in a bright indoor space. Large text reads "Accessible Filmmaking Program" and "School Leavers Info Session," with a "Register Now for the Zoom Link" button below the photo. Along the bottom are the event details: Wednesday 1 July 2026, 6:00–7:00 PM AEDT, Zoom online event, and the contact email [email protected]. The Bus Stop Films logo appears in the bottom right corner.

In the new ABC podcast Autistic AF with Grace Tame, OTARC's Dr Jac den Houting powerfully highlight some insights about autism, relationships, masking, and wellbeing.

They also discuss the strong overlap between Autistic and LGBTIQA+ identities, with some research indicating higher percentages of LGBTIQA+ identities within Autistic populations.

A great quote from the podcast: "You cannot live your best life if you're not accepted by the people around you," Jac says.

Listen here: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/ladies-we-need-to-talk/the-relationship-spectrum/106736868

The relationship spectrum - ABC listen "It can be difficult…when your approach to socialising and relationships doesn't look like what other people might expect." There's a long-held stereotype that autistic people are not empathetic and aren't interested in relationships. The reality is that, like everyone, autistic women and girls wa...

Staff and researchers from our Centre recently attended the Yellow Ladybugs Conference on 2nd - 4th June 2026, a neuroinclusive event celebrating Autistic girls, women and gender-diverse people.

The conference provided an important opportunity to hear directly from Autistic and neurodivergent presenters sharing their lived experiences, expertise and perspectives.

Read the recap on our blog: https://otarc.blogs.latrobe.edu.au/reflecting-on-the-yellow-ladybugs-conference-2026-lived-experience-neuro-affirming-practice-and-inclusion/

This week, both the Victorian Government and the Victorian Opposition made significant announcements about new programs to screen for autism and developmental delay in children.

We know many of you will want to understand what these mean, so here's a quick summary.

As part of the Thriving Kids program, which will launch in October this year, the Victorian Government has announced two new developmental assessments that will be available for every child: one before kinder and one before primary school. These won't be formal autism diagnoses, but trained clinicians and allied health professionals will identify developmental delays and connect families with support. They'll be based in maternal and child health centres, kinders and early parenting centres.

The Victorian Opposition has announced 'Successful School Starters'. Under the plan, occupational therapists and speech pathologists would be embedded in the existing Primary School Nursing Program from Term 1, 2028. Starting in Prep, specialists would observe students, help identify learning and developmental needs, and guide families toward assessment and diagnosis. The plan also includes a $500 subsidy toward a first specialist appointment if a formal diagnosis is needed.

We welcome the Government's clarity on Thriving Kids, and we welcome the Opposition's focus on supporting neurodivergent children and their families at school.

We'll continue to work with the Government as it rolls out Thriving Kids, keeping you informed along the way. 🩵

We would like to extend an invite to any healthcare professionals in our network to attend the first workshop of the span.toolkit, developed at La Trobe University

The Su***de Prevention for Autism Neuro-affirming Toolkit (span.toolkit) workshops will be free and will outline how the toolkit can be used for those within healthcare settings.

The first workshop will take place online at 12pm 9th July 2026.

You can register for the event at the following link: https://events.humanitix.com/span-toolkit-workshop

You can find out more about the span.toolkit here: https://www.spantoolkit.com/

If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Early autism screening is expanding across Tasmania, with key services now trained in the Social Attention & Communication Surveillance (SACS) tool developed at OTARC.

Created by Associate Professor Josephine Barbaro, SACS is the world’s most accurate early autism screening tool, identifying early signs in children aged 11–60 months - helping families access support sooner.

Over 18 months, we've worked with organisations across Tasmania to expand SACS training across multiple sectors:

• 21 Tasmanian GPs trained through a Royal Australian College of General Practitioners-funded primary care research initiative
• SACS integrated into the University of Tasmania Master of Speech Pathology program
• Allied health staff across three major hospital sites completed training in 2025
• Growing interest from disability and community services providers

Read more on our blog: https://otarc.blogs.latrobe.edu.au/tassie-strengthening-autism-screening-across-the-state/

Why can the same sound feel manageable one day and unbearable the next? According to emerging research, the answer may involve far more than volume alone…

Read our latest blog article to find out why: https://otarc.blogs.latrobe.edu.au/understanding-sound-intolerance-through-neurodivergent-experience/