Veronika Wild

-Image by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images Autism is a neurological and developmental condition which affects how people interact with their environment and others. It’s estimated that around 5.4 million people are affected globally , or around one in 54 children. In Europe it’s around 59 people per 10,000. In North America   its around 86 per 10,000. and there are an estimated 370,000 autistic people in Australia. Although numbers have certainly increased since the first diagnoses began appearing in 1966, much of this is attributable to better diagnoses, more services and greater awareness and because the stigma about being ‘different’ is diminishing. Not all children will display the same symptoms or to the same degree and there are quite distinct differences between girls and boys and between adults and younger people. Early diagnosis and recognition are important because they enable such children to receive the right help and support to reach their ful...

  Dark Mofo livens up the Winter Night Dark Mofo has been back for a couple of years now, but it's the first time I've been down since the pandemic began. Once again, the buildings glow red, laughter spills from bars and restaurants, fire balls erupt from the cones outside the hall and tents where the Winter Feasts are held and strange sounds and sights wake Hobart from its winter sleep.   The Bridge makes a red arc over the river. A stream of red taillights snakes its way past red buildings as I hurry to catch up to the procession. I had had a hard time finding a parking spot and had missed the start and I now have to scramble after people in puffer jackets – the Tasmanian Tuxedo (thanks for that ABC), rushing purposefully towards the old industrial site where the burning is to take place.  From afar I thought this year’s effigy was of a large corpulent person on a slab which conjured up some interesting thoughts – capitalists consumed in the feast perhaps, but as...