First published on The Post, April 5th 2025

After nearly seven years and multiple assessments, Wellington mum Amy Munro finally received a diagnosis of ADHD and autism for her daughter Myla, now 12. Their journey highlights the challenges many New Zealand families face when seeking support for neurodiverse children, especially in the absence of local prevalence data.

A new research project, funded by Cure Kids, is now aiming to change that. Led by Dr Nicholas Bowden (University of Otago) and Professor Laurie McLay (University of Canterbury), the study aims to understand autism prevalence as well as how autistic youth accessed healthcare. 

“The project is building up that kind of evidence base to look at those trends over time,” Bowden said.

It also involved engagement from the autistic and autism community to interpret the data and better advocate for policy change.

International estimates suggest 1 in 36 people may be autistic, yet New Zealand still relies on overseas data. For families like the Munros, better research and education could be life-changing.

Amy, now working with Autism NZ and studying late ADHD diagnoses in women, says understanding neurodiversity has transformed both her and her daughter’s lives.

Read the full story on The Post.