CliniKids

18/12/2025

Well done to former CliniKids PhD student, Dr Claudia Ong (pictured left with Rotary representatives) , who was recently recognised with a 2024 Australian Rotary Health Rotary WA Mental Health PhD award.

The award recognises researchers from WA universities who have completed an excellent PhD thesis in the field of mental health.

Claudia’s thesis - conducted through a combined Masters in Clinical Psychology and PhD at the School of Psychological Science at The University of Western Australia - explored a new program for supporting younger children diagnosed with with anxiety concerns (called Coping with Uncertainty in Everyday Situations, or CUES-Junior).

Her thesis explored the role of uncertainty anxiety in young children and the efficacy of this group program, delivered to parents, in reducing autistic children's anxiety around the unknown.

Her research made significant progress in how we understand anxiety in younger children diagnosed with autism, and how we can upskill parents to support their child in managing their feelings in uncertain environments.

Congratulations, Claudia!

The Kids Research Institute Australia

16/12/2025

💡Just a reminder that CliniKids will be having a break over the Christmas and New Year period so if there is anything you need to touch base about before then, please reach out by Tuesday, December 23 (phone calls only).

Our Subiaco and Joondalup clinics will re-open on Monday, January 5, 2026.

✨ From all of us here at CliniKids, have a safe and happy holidays!

The Kids Research Institute Australia

15/12/2025

Over the summer break, we will be resharing some of our most popular 60 Second Science videos of the past year.

First up, we have Associate Professor Gail Alvares discussing the results of a study — led by CliniKids researchers at The Kids Research Institute Australia — that trialled whether a small group program may help parents of children understand how to support and manage their child’s around uncertain situations.

To read the article discussed in the video, visit: https://bit.ly/4ePmuib

| UWA Research | | Newcastle University | Stanford University | |

10/12/2025

Congratulations to Dr Jack Brett who has been awarded the Australian Psychological Society’s Award for Excellent PhD Thesis in Psychology.

Jack's thesis explored empathy in autistic and non-autistic people, culminating in the development of a new empathy measurement tool and greater understanding of empathy in autism.

This honour comes off the back of Jack winning the Australian Rotary Health Rotary WA Mental Health PhD award for the same thesis recently.

We sure are lucky to have you in the research team Jack!

The Kids Research Institute Australia | The University of Western Australia |

08/12/2025

📣 New study!

Can a communication app on a device help non-verbal and minimally verbal autistic children express themselves?

CliniKids researchers are seeking autistic children who are using less than 50 words to communicate to take part in a research study.

We are conducting this study to investigate the effectiveness of the LAMP therapy approach and an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device for supporting nonverbal or minimally speaking autistic children to communicate.

✨ This opportunity is for autistic children aged 3 and 8 years of age who are able to attend face-to-face clinical supports and assessments at one of our CliniKids clinics (Subiaco or Joondalup).

📼 Watch this explainer video ⬇️ with Claire Perrozzi to find out more about the study, what's involved and why we are doing it.

💡For more information, phone (08) 6319 1139 or email LAMP@thekids.org.au

The Kids Research Institute Australia | UWA Research | City of Wanneroo Childhood and Youth Services | | | Perth Kids Hub | Kiind

03/12/2025

📣 Attention cadets!

We have released the 2026 dates for our Secret Agent Society (SAS) small group program, kicking off with a telehealth group for Term 1 for 9-10 year olds.

The award-winning, evidence-based program engages children's social and emotional development through espionage-themed gamified learning, skill generalisation, reward systems, and interactive clinician-led sessions.

At CliniKids, the after-school program is delivered to children aged between 8 to 10 years and a caregiver via telehealth or face-to-face in our clinics (Joondalup and Subiaco).

There will be two groups in 2026:
1⃣ Group 1 starts Thursday January 15, delivered via telehealth
2️⃣ Group 2 starts Thursday July 9

✨ To register your interest or find out more, visit: https://bit.ly/41DW9gO

Secret Agent Society - Solving the Mystery of Social Encounters | The Kids Research Institute Australia |

01/12/2025

In this new edition of 60 Second Science, Professor Andrew Whitehouse discusses a recent study that undertook an umbrella review of the existing evidence about paracetamol use during pregnancy and the likelihood of in offspring.

Researchers found the existing evidence does not clearly link paracetamol use during pregnancy with autism in children.

To read the article discussed in the video, visit: https://bit.ly/440c4IB

The Kids Research Institute Australia | | Autism CRC | Autism Awareness Australia

25/11/2025

✨ You may not realise it, but emotional regulation influences every area of our daily lives.

From our relationships with family and friends, to managing stressful work situations 😟, to giving ourselves the space to cry 😢 when feeling overwhelmed, regulation is a vital lifelong skill that we need to develop to support a healthy ability to manage our emotions.

Parents and caregivers play a crucial role in their child’s emotional development 🌱.

In this new blog, Occupational Therapist Katie Johnson explores what emotions are, why they are important, and how we can support children to develop their ability to understand and express their own emotions in a healthy way 😊.

📖 Discover tips to support and build your child’s emotional regulation skills here: https://bit.ly/3K8X8kE

The Kids Research Institute Australia | | | |

This blog aims to explore what emotions are, why they are important, and how we can support children to develop their ability to understand and express their own emotions in a healthy way.

20/11/2025

We’ve added another clinician to the team 👏!

Dimity is an experienced Occupational Therapist whose calm and supportive nature helps build a strong rapport with children, creating a safe and engaging environment for growth.

Passionate about empowering families, Dimity integrates a coaching approach to help parents and caregivers incorporate and daily activities into routines, fostering independence and confidence.

Dimity is currently taking on new clients. Phone (08) 6319 1133 or email clinikids.reception@thekids.org.au to discuss further.

The Kids Research Institute Australia | Perth Kids Hub | Kiind | Occupational Therapy Australia

19/11/2025

📣 We have released new dates for our NU-CUES© (Coping with Uncertainty in Everyday Situations) online training for 2026.

Ideal for anyone who works with autistic children experiencing anxiety, the two-session workshop is designed to provide clinicians and professionals with a greater understanding of why uncertainty is a challenge for some children and how to deliver this group program in clinical settings.

📅: 23 and 30 April, 2026
💻: Fully online via Zoom
⏰: 9am -12pm AWST
💰: $495 (inclusive GST) for the training and all materials
💡: https://bit.ly/3FxPqO1

The Kids Research Institute Australia |

17/11/2025

In this new edition of 60 Second Science, Dr Jess Reynolds discusses a recent study that explored parental concerns about their child’s development in the first year of life and a subsequent diagnosis.

To read the article discussed in the video, visit: https://bit.ly/3LIiw0A

The Kids Research Institute Australia | | |

17/11/2025

And that’s a wrap on ! Here’s a recap of a massive few days for our team!

Our clinicians and researchers delivered five oral presentations including:
🔷 Providing augmentative and alternative communication ( ) supports for young children and families, by Senior Speech Pathologist Lara Goldie
🔷 Clinician and caregiver perspectives on Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy (PACT), by Senior Speech Pathologist and PACT trainer Marisa Di Lorenzo
🔷 Caregiver experiences and mental health from a caregiver-mediated program for infants, by PhD candidate Sarah Pillar
🔷 Exploring alexithymia (difficulty identifying, processing, and expressing one's own emotions) in autistic adults, by Research Fellow Dr Jack Brett
🔷 The outcomes of a parent group program targeting uncertainty anxiety in young autistic children, by A/Prof Gail Alvares

AND presented five digital posters including:
🔶 Autism and ADHD content in popular TikTok videos, by A/Prof Alvares
🔶 Investigating Cognitive Orientation to Occupational Performance (CO-OP) therapy for autistic children, by Research Program Manager Dr Jess Reynolds
🔶 Understanding the acceptability of a group program for siblings of autistic children, by A/Prof Alvares
🔶 Initial findings from the Communicating and Understanding your Baby (CUB) study, by Dr Reynolds
🔶 Caregiver perspectives on everyday experiences of uncertainty in young children diagnosed with autism, by Research Project Coordinator Rebecca Kuzminski

Our team also kept conference-goers informed of all our , clinic and professional training offerings at the CliniKids booth.

The Kids Research Institute Australia | | | | The University of Western Australia