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.
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!” …
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the famous Lutheran theologian, spent his last days in a Nazi concentration camp. In 1945, on his way to execution, he called back to those he had left behind in his cell: “This is the end for me – the beginning of life.”
Summer holidays are usually a time of relaxation and enjoying the company of family and friends. The days are long and barmy and the parties and get togethers are loads of fun.
This summer past, however, was very different. There was little to excite and much to lament.
In January 2020 our colleague Steven tragically passed away. He was only 23 years old.
This has been a summer to remember – but for all the wrong reasons. Australia’s eastern states have experienced one of the worst droughts in living memory, culminating in severe bushfires, dust storms and floods in some areas.
Natasha, who was 28 at the time, had suffered from a lifetime long litany of health woes. But little did she know that her life was about to take an even darker turn. Boxing Day dawned frosty and cold. Much to her confusion, when Natasha opened her eyes, all she could see in the centre of her right eye was a large, blurry spot.
How Jan Dvořák became Clement Hofbauer and a Catholic saint is a complex story. He was born in 1751 in the small town of Tasovice in what was then Moravia, and is today the Czech Republic, almost 200 kilometres from Prague.
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.
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