For a little over the past year the Brain Behaviour Research Group has had a clinical research collaboration with Family & Community Services (NSW) to run an IT Club for young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Consisting of six 2-hour weekly sessions where participants receive tuition in programming skills, the Club has now run three groups and has a “Graduate Club” of several members who continue to meet weekly. The ASD-IT Club has been funded to continue into 2018

Led by Ms Kim Sarmukadam from the BBRG and guided by members of the UNE Computer Science staff, the ASD-IT Club has produced increases in social interaction skills, self-belief in future career aspirations, and knowledge of IT. Participants have also shown decreases in their levels of anxiety and depression, and there have been improvements in their ability to interact socially at school, as reported by their teachers.

The success of the IT-Club and the impact it has had on young peoples lives was recognised last week at Regional Development Australia’s Northern Inland Innovation Awards where the ASD-IT Club was named as a Finalist and Runner-Up in the Health, Aged Care and Disability category. 

Featured image shows (from left): Ms Anne Rix (Pathfinders), Ms Kim Sarmukadam (Research Assistant), Ms Robyn Eigeland (The Benevolent Society), Prof Vicki Bitsika (Bond University & UNE), Prof Chris Sharpley (BBRG at UNE) with their award on Friday 24th November, 2017.