In March 2024, Associate Professor Josephine Barbaro conducted a comprehensive training program in New Zealand to educate over 320 professionals in early autism detection using the Social Attention and Communication Surveillance (SACS) tool.
Conducted in partnership with Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, over 320 education and healthcare professionals were trained through a combination of in-person workshops and online courses.
This marked Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre’s (OTARC) largest investment in SACS training to date and the biggest implementation of the tool in the southern hemisphere outside of Australia.
The training was part of a collaborative research project led by Dr. Hannah Waddington of Victoria University of Wellington, with training in the SACS tool coordinated and provided by La Trobe University. The initiative involved four full-day workshops in various locations around Wellington, and online training components tailored to accommodate participants who were unable to attend in person. This blended approach ensured wide accessibility and participation across the region.
The SACS tool has demonstrated exceptional diagnostic accuracy in early autism detection. According to a comprehensive OTARC study published in 2022, the SACS-Revised (SACS-R) and SACS-Preschool (SACS-PR) tools showed greater accuracy compared with other commonly used autism screening tools for community-based samples.
In the 2022 study, maternal and child health nurses conducted screenings during routine checkups for children aged 11 to 42 months, evaluating 13,511 children. Those identified as being at high likelihood for autism subsequently underwent diagnostic assessments.
The results were compelling: the SACS (R+PR) programs exhibited very high diagnostic accuracy for early autism detection. This population-based developmental surveillance program has shown promise not only for national application, but has potential to transform early autism identification and detection globally.
A unique aspect of the New Zealand training was the creation of a bespoke online learning management system by OTARC staff. This was specially designed to incorporate Māori perspectives, language, and culturally responsive supports, ensuring that the training was not only effective but also culturally appropriate and sensitive to local contexts.
"It was important for us to integrate Māori specific knowledge, needs, and perspectives into the training,” says A/Prof Barbaro. “This was done through a lived experience engagement co-production and was essential for the trainings success in New Zealand.”
The training should inform New Zealand autism diagnostic pathways for decades to come across the country and sets a benchmark for international best practices in autism care. The New Zealand training initiative has been the second-largest global training effort outside of China.
The SACS tool, a cornerstone of early autism detection, has been implemented in 16 countries and is available to complete online. This training is suited to a wide variety of professionals who engage with children in an environment where screening would be appropriate.
For more information about the SACS tool and our ongoing research, visit the SACS training page on our website or email the SACS team at sacs.training@latrobe.edu.au
