School of Psychological Science

		Dr Amanda Richdale Associate Professor Principal Research Fellow		Phone: +61 3 9479 1742 Fax: +61 3 9479 1956 a.richdale@latrobe.edu.au Room 413 George Singer Building
		B.App.Sc. (Gordon Institute); M.Prelim (Behav. Sc.) (La Trobe); PhD (La Trobe)

I joined the School of Psychological Science, Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre in April 2009 after an honorary appointment from mid-2008. Until the end of 2008 I was in Psychology at RMIT University for over 15 years and am now an Adjunct Professor there. I have taught in a range of areas in Psychology, but primarily in Developmental Psychology, Biological Psychology and Child Psychopathology, including specialist teaching in autism spectrum disorders and children’s sleep disorders.

I have experience in the assessment and diagnosis of developmental disabilities, in particular autism spectrum disorders and specific learning difficulties.
My research interests are in autism spectrum disorders, specific learning difficulties and developmental disorders, and children’s sleep. I am most widely known for my research on sleep in autism spectrum disorders, but together with my research students have conducted research in a range of areas related to child development and intervention, in particular ASDs, reading difficulties, and ADHD.

Currently I am part of the content team for the National Autism Workshops Program (FaHCSIA) and the autism site of the Raising Children Network (FaHCSIA). I am also work collaboratively with Associate Professor Kimberly Schreck, Penn State University, USA.

	Recent Publications
	Doctoral Students		Grants

Memberships and Associations
Registered Psychologist, Victoria
Registered supervisor, Psychologists’ Registration Board Vic.
Chair of the Autism Victorian Professional Panel

Member:
Australian Psychological Society
Australian Society for the Study of Intellectual Disability
Australasian Sleep Association
International Association for Autism Research
International Pediatric Sleep Association
Board of the Educational Program for Infants and Children (EPIC) EI
Australasian Sleep Trails Network Paediatric Working Group
Editorial Board for Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Australasian Autism Research Alliance
Australasian Autism Research Collaboration
Autism Victoria.
Autism Victoria Research Reference Group
SPELD (Victoria)

Awards
Autism Victoria Individual Achievement Award (2007) for recognition of services to the Autism Victoria Professional Panel

Doctoral Students

Rosemary Badenoch (PhD, completed 2008), Evaluation of the Correa program for children with autism who are climbers or absconders. University of Melbourne

Helen Chau (PhD, current): A study of approaches and methods of practice in early in intervention in autism and related disorders. RMIT University

Brynne E. Dippell (Ph.D, completed 1998), Dawn simulation in the treatment of sleep disorders in children with autism. California Graduate Institute, Los Angeles, USA

Diane Jacobs (PhD, completed 2009): Language, literacy, and behaviour of children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder, specific language impairment, or specific reading disorder, compared to typically developing peers. RMIT University

Julie Kos (PhD, completed 2004), Primary school teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours toward children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. RMIT University.

Rachel Leonard (PhD, current): Executive function and social skills in young high-functioning children with autism., RMIT University

Tania Pietrzak (PhD, completed 2005), Parent-driven behavioural interventions for children with an autism spectrum disorder: Supervision effects and family outcomes. RMIT University.

Melinda Polimeni (PhD, completed 2005), An examination of sleep problems and bio-behavioural treatment outcomes in typically developing children and children with an autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. RMIT University

Anthony Robinson (DPsych, completed 2007), Children with an intellectual disability and sleep problems: The role of child and parent factors and treatment efficacy using the Signposts program. RMIT University

Mickaela Schelleman (PhD, current): The impact of diet on children’s behaviour and learning RMIT University

Sophie Weiskop (DPsych, completed 2001), The effectiveness of a parent training program to reduce sleep problems in children with autism or Fragile X syndrome. RMIT University.

Recent Publications (2004 +)

Chu, J, & Richdale, A. (Accepted July 2009) Sleep quality and psychological wellbeing in mothers of children with developmental disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities.

Cotton, S., & Richdale, A. (2006). Brief Report: Parental Descriptions of Sleep Problems in Children with Autism, Down Syndrome, and Prader-Willi Syndrome. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 27, 151 - 161. (Selected for the American Psychological Associations’ Clinician’s Research Digest, Oct, 2006)

Harrell, D., Schreck, K., & Richdale, A. (2008). Sleep in the world of Autism. Sleep Review, March 2008. http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/issues/2008-03.asp

Jacobs, D., & Richdale, A. (2004). Language, speech and reading skills in children with developmental disabilities. (Abstract). Australian Journal of Psychology, 56 (Suppl.), 193

Kos, J. M., Richdale, A.L., & Hay, D. (2006) Children with ADHD and their teachers: A review of the literature. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 53, 147-160. (Special Issue on ADHD)

Kos, J. M., & Richdale, A. L. (2004). The history of attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder. Australian Journal of Learning Disabilities, 9, 22-24.

Kos, J. M., Richdale, A. L., & Jackson, M. S. (2004). Knowledge about attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder: A comparison of in-service and pre-service teachers. Psychology in the Schools, 45, 517-526.

Mahar, N., & Richdale, A. (2008) Primary teachers’ linguistic knowledge and perceptions of early literacy instruction. Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, 13, 17-37.

Polimeni, M. A., Richdale, A. L., & Francis, A. J. P. (2007). The impact of children’s sleep problems on the family and behavioural processes related to their development and maintenance. E-Journal of Applied Psychology, 76 – 85. http://ojs.lib.swin.edu.au/index.php/ejap/issue/view/12

Polimeni, M., Richdale, A., & Francis, A. (2007). Research update: clinical issues in the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorders, in New Research on Autism (Nova Science Publishers). nce Publishing.

Polimeni, M. A., Richdale, A. L., & Francis, A. J. P. (2005). A survey of sleep problems in autism, Asperger’s disorder and typically developing children. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 49, 260 -268

Richdale, A. L. (2004). A Comment on Honomichl et al. (2002). Sleep patterns of children with pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34, 89-90.

Richdale, A. L. (2004). Sleep difficulties in children with an intellectual disability. Intellectual Disability Australasia. June 2004.

Richdale, A. (2005). Behavioural treatment of sleep problems in children. Where are we? (Abstract) Australian Journal of Psychology, 57 (Suppl.), 248.

Richdale, A., Gavidia-Payne, S., Itsines, M., & Nixon, J. (2007). Development of enhanced Signposts program: Children with autism module (Report). Department of Human Services (Vic).

Richdale, A., & Schreck, K. (2008). Assessment and intervention in autism: An historical perspective. In J. Matson (Ed). Clinical assessment and intervention for autism spectrum disorders (pp. 3-32). New York: Elsevier.

Richdale, A., & Schreck, K. (In press). Sleep problems in autism spectrum disorders: Prevalence, nature & possible biopsychosocial aetiologies. Sleep Medicine Reviews.

Richdale, A., & Wiggs, L. (2005) Behavioral approaches to the treatment of sleep problems in children with developmental disorders. What is the state of the art? International Journal of Behavioral and Consultation Therapy, 1, 165 – 189. http://www.behavior-analyst-online.org/newIJBCT/IJBCT-VOL-1/IJBCT-1-3.pdf

Robinson, A. M., & Richdale, A. L. (2004). Sleep problems in children with an intellectual disability: Parental views of treatment, satisfaction and effectiveness. Child: Care, Health and Development, 30, 139 – 150.

Robinson, A.M. & Richdale, A.L. (2004). My child sleeps; mine doesn’t (Abstract). Journal of Sleep Research, 13 (Suppl. 1), 606.

Weiskop, S, Richdale, A., & Matthews, J. (2005). Treatment to Reduce Sleep Problems in Children with Autism or Fragile X Syndrome. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 47, 94-104

Recent Grants / Tenders
2008 FaHCSIA National Autism Workshops Program 0-6 years. Lead organisation Parenting Research Centre.
2006 Department of Human Services Vic. Signposts Autism Module
2006 Feingold Association USA. An investigation of an elimination diet and parent training program on children’s behaviour. Mrs Mickeala Schelleman (PhD student) and Dr Amanda Richdale (supervisor)
2005 Division of Psychology, RMIT Research grant Saliency, Complexity and Social Information Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
2005 Grant Consultant for Pro-Tech Services SIB-R grant (NIH, USA): Novel method to study sleep in autistic disorders.