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Parents say they have been given little guidance about next steps for their kids, following the centres’ shock closures.

‘We’re lost’: Families, staff devastated as specialist childcare centres close

An early education provider for children with autism has entered administration, with centres across Brisbane and Queensland to shut indefinitely.

  • Courtney Kruk

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Since leaving mainstream school, Brisbane mother Sandy Whiteman (pictured with her husband and children) has launched a group called Purely Home Learning supporting other families leaving the system.

Why these parents left mainstream schools, and what it says about the system

“I reached a point where continuing school felt more harmful than stepping away.”

  • Courtney Kruk
Jarrod Clune, 50, Maiwenna Goasdoue, 49, and their sons Leon, 16, and Otis, 14, were found at the Mott Close property on Friday morning.

The hidden struggle behind closed doors at a quiet Mosman Park home

To the outside world, they were a loving family whose children had attended a top-tier school. But behind closed doors, a “groaning” support system was weighing on two parents.

  • Rebecca Peppiatt
Autism manifests in a range of ways – across genders, abilities and life experiences – defying any single definition.

Children won’t need an autism diagnosis to use Thriving Kids scheme

Health Minister Mark Butler unveiled the model for Thriving Kids – which will help children with lower support needs outside the NDIS – to be mainly run through states and territories.

  • Natassia Chrysanthos
Parents could face thousands of dollars of medical fees to maintain the same care, if new Medicare items reflect existing ones.

After autism changes, Labor will still need to find billions more in NDIS savings

Figures supplied to this masthead show that the Thriving Kids program will help the budget – but not enough to completely get NDIS spending under control.

  • Natassia Chrysanthos
School days are not good days for everyone.

School for my bright son has been heartbreaking. Too many teachers think kids need to ‘try harder’

The challenges for kids who don’t fit the mould are big enough. Too many teachers aren’t helping, and are actually making things worse.

  • Clare Traub
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Trump has (wrongly) warned pregnant women not to take paracetamol.

Trump blamed autism on this pain pill. Now, the gold-standard evidence is in

Studies promoted by the US president have shown small associations between a common medication and autism. A new analysis checked those results.

  • Angus Dalton

‘Groundbreaking’: Chloe Hayden, disability advocates celebrate first autistic Barbie

US toymaker Mattel has released its autistic Barbie, the latest in a growing stable of dolls that promote diversity and inclusion.

  • Lauren Ironmonger
Advances in brain imaging, genetics and computational science are revealing discrete biological subtypes.

New science points to four distinct types of autism

Scientists are redefining autism as a complex condition with multiple forms, challenging traditional notions.

  • Ariana Eunjung Cha
WA Labor minister Hannah Beazley speaks on day one of the Asia Pacific Autism Conference 2025 in Perth last week.

Perth just held a major international autism conference. Here’s what we learned

The story is still being written about how autism impacts people across their lives and autistic people are our guides.

  • Joan McKenna Kerr