Dr Nick Bowden delivered a keynote speech at the 2023 Australasian Society for Autism Research (ASfAR) conference in Christchurch. It was held at the University of Canterbury on December 6th and 7th.
ASfAR is an organisation devoted to advancing knowledge and understanding of autism across the lifespan through research and scholarship across the Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific Region. The research presented at ASfAR has a strong community engagement focus, with the majority of research presented either led by, or co-produced with members of the Autistic community.
We asked Dr Bowden to tell us about what he talked about and what it means for the autistic community in NZ. “In my presentation, I discussed the world-leading research database in Aotearoa/New Zealand known as the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI). The IDI contains various population-level datasets linked at the individual level, encompassing health, education, social services, tax, census, and criminal justice system information. This unique resource offers unparalleled opportunities for autism research. I provided an overview of the IDI and its utilisation in autism research in Aotearoa. Additionally, I showcased existing research examples and delved into the development of new research streams. These included exploring how the IDI could assess the impact of education-based funding supports on health and educational outcomes for autistic students, as well as initiatives for Māori-centred and Pacific-centred autism research.
Click here : Autism Takiwatanga ASfAR Key note Bowden to view the full PowerPoint presentation.
Papers in my keynote I talked about:
Bowden, N., Thabrew, H., Kokaua, J., Audas, R., Milne, B., Smiler, K., Stace, H., Taylor, B., & Gibb, S. (2020). Autism spectrum disorder/Takiwātanga: An Integrated Data Infrastructure-based approach to autism spectrum disorder research in New Zealand. Autism, 24, 2213-2227.
Bowden, N., Thabrew, H., Kokaua, J., & Braund, R. (2020). National prescribing rates and polypharmacy for children and young people in New Zealand with and without autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 78, 101642.
Vu, H., Bowden, N., Gibb, S., Audas, R., Dacombe, J., McLay, L., Sporle, A., Stace, H., Taylor, B., & Thabrew, H. (2024). Mortality risk among Autistic children and young people: A nationwide birth cohort study. Autism, 13623613231224015.
Bowden, N., Milne, B., Audas, R., Clasby, B., Dacombe, J., Forster, W., Kokaua, J., Gibb, S., Hughes, N., MacCormick, C., Smiler, K., Taylor, B., & Mirfin-Veitch, B. (2022). Criminal justice system interactions among young adults with and without autism: A national birth cohort study in New Zealand. Autism, 26(7), 1783-1794.
Bowden, N., Gibb, S., Audas, R., Clendon, S., Dacombe, J., Kokaua, J., Milne, B. J., Mujoo, H., Murray, S. W., Smiler, K., Stace, H., van der Meer, L., & Taylor, B. J. (2022). Association Between High-Need Education-Based Funding and School Suspension Rates for Autistic Students in New Zealand. JAMA pediatrics, 176(7), 664-671.
Tupou, J., Smiler, K., Theodore, R., Spole, A., Diamond, T., Kokaua, J., Ruhe, T., & Bowden, N. (2023). Examining case complexity among Māori with autism/Takiwātanga in New Zealand: a national cross-sectional study. Unpublished.
Ruhe, T., Kolose-Pulefolau, B., Foliaki, S., Bowden, N., Richards, R., & Kokaua, J. (2022). Examining case complexity among Pasifika with autism/Takiwātanga in Aotearoa New Zealand: a national cross-sectional study. Pacific Health Dialog, 21(10), 673-682.
Kokaua, J., Kolose-Pulefolau, B., Ruhe, T., Aldridge, F., Foliaki, S., Kokaua, L., Mapusua, T., Dacombe, J., Richards, R., & Blakelock, R. (2023). Is parent education a factor in identifying autism/takiwātanga in an ethnic cohort of Pacific children in Aotearoa, New Zealand? A national cross-sectional study using linked administrative data. Autism, 13623613231217800.
