New research centre to unravel the mysteries of autism
'Staggering generosity backed by staggering leadership': Mrs Tennison, right, and Dr Dissanayake at the launch ofthe new Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre.
La Trobe University, supported by a private donation of a million dollars, has launched Australia's first dedicated research centre for Autism Spectrum Disorders.
The centre aims to unlock the puzzle of autism – one of the most severe and common childhood disorders which affect one in 167 Australian children, with a male to female ratio of four to one.
Known as the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC ), and located in the School of Psychological Science on the University's main Melbourne campus at Bundoora, it was opened by the Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Disability Services, Bill Shorten.
Mr Shorten, who had earlier that week announced $190 million to assist parents of children with autism, said more research was needed to underpin the good work of parents and community professionals.
Every cause, he said, required champions – individuals who helped engineer change. He described the formation of OTARC , by Mrs Tennison and Centre Director Dr Cheryl Dissanayake, as an example of 'staggering generosity backed by staggering leadership'.
Dr Dissanayake, senior lecturer in Psychological Science, said that frustrated by the lack of funding for research and recognition of this debilitating condition, Mrs Tennison, widow of former leading Melbourne journalist Patrick Tennison, initially offered $500,000 of her own money, with matching contributions from the University, to help establish the centre. She then presented a second cheque at the launch doubling her contribution.
The Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre is focusing on both basic and applied research to advance knowledge on the nature and causes of autism.
Thanking Mrs Tennison for her contribution, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Professor Tim Brown, said the University was pleased to support the work of the centre as its objectives were in line with La Trobe's research strategy – 'to make a difference to our community'.
Six doctoral students are currently carrying out research in the centre. A new PhD scholarship and a three-year post-doctoral fellowship have just been advertised.
The La Trobe centre is a joint initiative with Autism Victoria, the peak autism body in the State, which will play an important role in supporting and promoting its work.
Training and community education
The centre will also focus on training and continuing education for health and educational practitioners.
It will foster collaboration between community services, research centres and other universities involved in autism research and build partnerships with international research groups.
Dr Dissanayake said the development was taking place at a time when the federal government had pledged a substantial budget to support early intervention centres, and improved assessment and diagnosis services for this long neglected group of children.
She said dedicated research funding for this complex group of disorders was long overdue.
'The establishment of the centre highlights the need for funded research and a higher profile for autism. It is exasperating that not one autism study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council last year, despite the significant impact autism has on the nation's young children,' she said.
The centre comprises a suite of laboratories for observational and experimental studies of children, from identifying signs of autism in infancy to genetic studies of this complex disorder.
The centre will also study evidencebased treatment and intervention methods for supporting children and families affected by autism.
Dr Dissanayake said Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) referred to a group of prevalent and debilitating developmental disorders, which included Autistic Disorder (AD), Asperger's Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder.
These conditions are characterised by impairments in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interaction, and a restricted repertoire of activities and interests combined with repetitive and stereotyped behaviour.