Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre
The Team
Assoc Prof & Reader Cheryl Dissanayake is the Director of OTARC. She is also an Associate Professor in Developmental Psychology at the School of Psychological Science at La Trobe University and an established researcher with a strong national and international reputation in autism research. She is a member of the Autism Victoria Professional Panel and Convenor of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Group, a reference group of the Autism Victoria Professional Panel.
View Dr Dissanayake's profile.
Professor Margot Prior is the Chair of the OTARC Advisory Committee, and the Patron of Autism Victoria. She is also an Adjunct Professor in the School of Psychological Science at La Trobe University and a Honorary Professorial Fellow in the School of Behavioural Science at The University of Melbourne. She has been a researcher in the field of family and child development for more than 30 years, focusing in autism and learning difficulties in children. She has also been a Chief Investigator in the 20 year, longitudinal study of Australian children 'The Australian Temperament Project'. Professor Prior recently published a major review of early intervention practices for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (with J. Roberts), entitled "Autism: A Review of the Research to Identify the Most Effective Models of Practice in Early Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders".
View Professor Prior's profile or view Professor Prior's list of publications
Professor Edith Bavin (FAPS) is in the School of Psychological Science at La Trobe University. Her research interests are in studying early language development in children who are developing normally, as well as those with specific language impairments and other disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorders. She is the editor of the Journal of Child Language, and was the editor of the Cambridge Handbook of Child Language (2009). View Professor Bavin's profile.
Professor Christine Bigby is a Professor and Reader in the School of Social Work and Social Policy at La Trobe University. Her research interests are in intellectual disability policy and practice and in particular issues associated with aging. She is the author of three books, the latest of which is "Planning and Support for People with Intellectual Disability: Issues for Case Managers and other Professionals" published by Jessica Kingsley and University of New South Wales Press in mid 2007. She is also editor of the journal "Australian Social Work". She has taken an active role in debate and analysis of disability policy, and for the last 2 years has convened the annual Roundtable of Intellectual Disability Policy.
View Dr Bigby's profile.
Prof David Finlay is the Former Dean of the Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering at La Trobe University. He is an enthusiastic supporter of our centre and, as Dean, was a member of our Advisory Committee since it's inception. On his retirement as Dean (at the end of 2009) David agreed to remain on our Advisory Committee. He is an experimental psychologist with a particular interest in ASDs.
Ms Amanda Golding BA Dip Ed (Monash, 1975) has worked as a teacher, in the family business and as Executive Officer for Autism Victoria (1991 – 2007). During her time with Autism Victoria, Amanda developed a detailed knowledge of autism and the many issues faced by parents and professionals affected by this complex and demanding disorder. Amanda convened the highly successful Inaugural World Autism Congress held in Melbourne in 2002 as well as numerous seminars, forums and presentations focussing on Autism Spectrum Disorders. Since leaving Autism Victoria, Amanda has worked as a consultant and in a number of voluntary roles. She is currently the senior autism consultant to the Parenting Research Centre, a committee member of the Autistic Family Support Association, a life member of Alpha Autism Inc and director of the recently established Autism Noticeboard. Amanda’s involvement with autism emanated from her eldest son’s diagnosis in the mid 1980s and their involvement in one of Dr Dissanayake’s earliest research projects examining emotional attachment in young children with autism. Amanda is an Honorary Member of OTARC.
Ms Cherie Green (Student Representative on OTARC Advisory Committee) is the Student Representative on the OTARC Advisory Committee. She is a PhD student working under the supervision of Dr Cheryl Dissanayake and Dr Danuta Loesch, and is investigating growth dysregulation in boys with Autistic Disorder. She previously worked at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute as a research assistant on the Autism Phenome Project.
Dr Elfriede Ihsen is an Honorary Research Fellow at OTARC and the School of Psychological Science at La Trobe University. She is a Developmental Psychologist interested in the development of children with disabilities, especially congenital blindness and Autism Spectrum Disorders. View Dr Ihsen's profile
Dr Danuta Loesch is a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Psychological Science at La Trobe University and an Honorary Research Fellow at the Murdoch Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, and The University of Melbourne. She is a medical geneticist with special expertise in anthropometry, Fragile X syndrome and Autism. View Dr Loesch's profiile
Dr Catherine Marraffa (MBBS FRACP FRCPCH) has worked with children with a wide range of developmental disabilities, both physical and intellectual, over the last 20 years. She is the Deputy Director, Developmental Medicine at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, and Paediatrician to the Autism Assessment Team of the Integrated Mental Health Service. She has been in this position for 14 years. Previously, she was a Consultant Paediatrician at Central Middlesex Hospital, London, for a period of 6 years. Dr Marraffa is currently Chair of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Victorian State Committee (Paediatrics and Child Health Division) and has been in this position since 2004. She has co-authored several recent papers and book chapters on children with Autism and other related topics. View Dr Marraffa's Profile.
Mr Cliff Picton is currently the Ombudsman at La Trobe University. Prior to taking up this position he was Associate Dean (International) in the Faculty of Health Sciences, and prior to that, Head of the School of Social Work and Social Policy at La Trobe University. As an academic in the School of Social Work, Dr. Picton has taught and researched in a number of areas including grief and loss, ageing, disability and adoption. He is a member of the Victorian Government's Ministerial Advisory Council of Senior Victorians. He has published a number of articles and books and has been a regular broadcaster on social issues over the past 35 years in Australia and Britain.
View Mr Picton's profile.
Mr Oreste Pompetti is the father of a teenage daughter with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and has experienced both the challenges and rewards of having a child with autism. These have led to learning a different way of doing family life. Oreste is a qualified accountant and CPA, and formerly worked at La Trobe University in Finance and Research Services. In February 2010 Oreste was appointed CEO of EPIC Early Intervention Service at RMIT University in Bundoora.
Dr Amanda Richdale was formerly an Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology at RMIT University. She is now a Research Fellow at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, La Trobe University. Her research interests include children's sleep development, the behavioural management of children's sleep disorders, and issues related to the development and management of children with developmental disabilities, particularly autism spectrum disorders. She has published widely concerning sleep problems and their management in children with autism and other developmental disorders and maintains a strong connection with the autism research community. She is on the editorial board of Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
View Dr Richdale's profile.
Dr Jacqui Roberts is an Associate Professor at the University of Canberra, Faculty of Education, and the team leader responsible for content in the Australian Autism Education and Training Consortium (AAETC), which provides professional development for teachers and school leaders and for parents and carers of children with autism across Australiaas part of the Federal Government Helping Children with Autism package. Dr Roberts is also a Senior lecturer at the University of Sydney Faculty of Health Sciences and Brain Mind Research Institute. She has been contracted by FAHCSIA to manage the clinical evaluation of the Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres (one in each state).
View Dr Roberts' profile.
Mr David Trembath, Post Doctoral Fellow, comes to our centre from the University of Sydney where he lectured in Communication and Lifelong Disability; Augmentative and Alternative Communication; and Professional Development. He has a Master of Applied Science by Research (High Distinction) (USyd 2005) and a Bachelor of Applied Science (Speech Pathology) (USyd 2001). David has submitted his PhD thesis and is currently awaiting his results. His interests include Autism Spectrum Disorders; cross-cultural and interdisciplinary practice in speech pathology; assistive technology; inclusive education; and participation across the lifespan. His current areas of research are Communication Interventions for People with Autism Spectrum Disorders; Peer Mediated Interventions for children with disabilities, and the experiences of volunteers who use augmentative communication. David’s staff profile will be linked to this position as soon as it is available.
Ms Lisbeth Wilks is the Administrative Officer of OTARC. She has an adult son with Autism Spectrum Disorder and an adult step-son with Down syndrome. She was one of the original members of the Autism Family Support Association and is a Past President of that organisation. She has also been involved with Autism Victoria and has served on its committee. She is a member of a number of disability-oriented organisations. In 2006 Lisbeth published a novel for junior teens about a sibling growing up in a family with two siblings with intellectual disabilities. Lisbeth has a wide network of contacts in the field of intellectual disability. View Ms Wilks' profile.
OTARC research staff
- Ms Carmella Germano, Lab Manager
- Ms Irene Giaprakis, Research Assistant
- Ms Melinda Goodyear, Research Assistant
Student members and their research areas
- Ms Josephine Barbaro, PhD candidate, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University.
Prospective identification of autism in infancy. - Ms Sarah Chan, PhD candidate, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University.
Study of memory in children with high-functioning autism. - Ms Cherie Green, PhD candidate, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University.
A mixed longitudinal study of growth in boys with autistic disorder. - Ms Rucha Joshi, PhD candidate, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University.
Autism in females, an area which to date has had relatively little attention given the small proportion of females (to males) affected with an ASD (1:4). - Ms Amanda Newbign, DPsych candidate, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University.
Social understanding and social responsiveness in school-aged children with high-functioning autism from the self and other's perspective. - Ms Felicity Chandler, DPsych candidate, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University.
The development of caregiver attachment and self understanding in school-aged children with high-functioning autism. - Ms Jessica Mifsud, DPsych candidate, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University.
Further explorations of pretence abilities and deficits in young children with high-functioning autism. - Ms Germaine Gerkis –DPsych candidate, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University.
Using eye tracking to identify how children with autism interpret sentences. The research is focusing on 'priming', that is, how much the structures of previous messages influences the interpretation of new messages.
- Mr Alex Zammit, DPsych candidate, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University.
- Ms Heather Nuske, PhD candidate, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University.
- Mr Kavi Jayasinghe, DPsych candidate, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University.
- Ms Clare James, MPsych candidate, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University.
- Ms Claire Forsyth, MPsych candidate, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University.
- Ms Lindsay Pamment, Honours candidate, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University.
- Ms Emma Baker, Honours candidate, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University.
- Ms Zoe Robertson, Honours candidate, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University.
- Ms Sarah Rostron, Honours candidate, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University.
