Autumn 2020

One morning a lame man struggled into a Catholic Church. He stopped in front of the holy water font, splashed some on both his legs and then threw away his crutches. An altar boy witnessed the scene and rushed into the rectory to tell the priest what he’d seen. “Son, you’ve just witnessed a miracle!”

In January 2020 our colleague Steven tragically passed away. He was only 23 years old.

Whether fighting fires, assisting evacuees, supporting those who lost loved ones in the fires, helping to rebuild towns and lives, caring for injured, thirsty and frightened wildlife, or donating money to the many charities and community groups assisting vulnerable people, Australians stepped up.

The cause of autism is unknown but likely multifactorial. Both genetics and the environment are thought to play a role. Boys are four times as likely to be diagnosed as girls.

There is no blood test or brain scan that can diagnose ASD; rather, it is done by studying an individual’s developmental history, observing their communication skills and social interactions, psychometric testing, and examining for neurological deficits.