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  • Sarah Pillar

    Sarah Pillar

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Sarah Pillar

Lecturer

Staff Member Details
Email: s.pillar@ecu.edu.au
ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2681-0605

Sarah is a Lecturer for the Bachelor of Speech Pathology course in the School of Medical and Health Sciences.

Current teaching

Sarah Pillar is currently teaching within the following unit(s):

  • SPE1100 - Evidence Based Practice in Speech Pathology

Background

Sarah Pillar graduated from Edith Cowan University with a Bachelor of Speech Pathology with first class Honours. Sarah is a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist and has over 10 years’ experience as a clinician. She brings broad clinical experience from the delivery of clinical services across metropolitan and country Western Australia.

Sarah developed a passion for supporting autistic children and their families through her clinical work, which included the completion of autism diagnostic evaluations. She has significant experience in the assessment of children showing early developmental differences and is an Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) trainer for medical and allied health professionals.

Sarah’s main area of research is autism, with a particular focus on early child- and family-centred supports, and services for children with complex communication needs.

Sarah has published over 16 peer reviewed papers and has an ongoing collaboration with researchers and clinicians at CliniKids, based at The Kids Research Institute Australia.

Sarah has contributed to the translation of research into practice as an author on National Guideline for Supporting the Learning, Participation, and Wellbeing of Autistic Children and Their Families in Australia, has provided input into national teaching practice guides for supporting students with diverse needs, and has written and provided scientific review of articles for parents and caregivers through raisingchildren.net.au. Sarah is also a children's book illustrator.

Sarah is currently undertaking her PhD at The University of Western Australia in the area of early supports for autistic children and their families.

Sarah presents regularly at national conferences and community organisations on topics related to autism, early development and evidence-based clinical practice.

Professional associations

  • 2019 – Current: Peadiatric InterAgency Group (PIAG) – Current Chair
  • 2013 - Current: Speech Pathology Australia (SPA)

Awards and recognition

  • 2025 -The Kids Research Institute Australia Student Professional Development Funding Award
  • 2024 - The Kids Research Institute Australia Publication Excellence Award (Research Translation): National Guideline for Supporting the Learning Participation and Wellbeing of Autistic Children in Australia
  • 2023 - included in The Conversation Australia + NZ's anthology of its most compelling and thought-provoking essays published over the previous 12 months: “2023: A Year of Consequence” for their article: “Autism and ADHD assessment waits are up to 2 years’ long. What can families do in the meantime?”
  • 2022 - Telethon Kids Institute Publication Excellence Award (Journal Article): Effect of Preemptive Intervention on Developmental Outcomes Among Infants Showing Early Signs of Autism: A Randomized Clinical Trial of Outcomes to Diagnosis – published in JAMA Pediatrics
  • 2021 -  Telethon Kids Institute Publication Excellence Award (Journal Article): The misnomer of ‘high functioning autism’: Intelligence is an imprecise predictor of functional abilities at diagnosis – published in Autism

Research areas and interests

  • Autism
  • Early communication development
  • Parent-mediated supports
  • Complex communication needs
  • AAC
  • Clinical community implementation

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Speech Pathology with First Class Hons, Edith Cowan University, 2014.

Research Outputs

2025

Journal Articles

  • Jordan, P., Wallace-Watkin, C., Tupou, J., Pillar, S., Waddington, H. (2025). ‘I wouldn’t want one or the other’: Understanding parents’ preferences for direct support or parent coaching for young autistic children. Autism, 29(3), 740-753. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241287300.
  • Sulek, R., Edwards, C., Monk, R., Patrick, L., Pillar, S., Waddington, H. (2025). Community Priorities for Outcomes Targeted During Professional Supports for Autistic Children and their Families. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 55(5), 1890-1901. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06333-2.

2024

Journal Articles

  • Sulek, R., Edwards, C., Monk, R., Patrick, L., Pillar, S., Whitehouse, A., Waddington, H. (2024). ‘It depends entirely on the nature of those supports’: Community perceptions of the appropriateness of early support services for autistic children. Autism, 2024(article in press), TBD. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241302372.
  • Sulek, R., Robertson, J., Goodall, E., Liew, A., Pillar, S., Upson, G., Whitehouse, A., Wicks, R., Trembath, D. (2024). Support Preferences and Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) in the Clinical Care of Autistic Children: Stakeholder Perspectives. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 2024(article in press), TBD. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-024-00410-4.
  • Waddington, H., Jordan, P., Hammond, M., Tupou, J., Patrick, L., Macaskill, E., Davies, G., Pillar, S., Van, dM., Whitehouse, A. (2024). Low-intensity parent- and clinician-delivered support for young autistic children in Aotearoa New Zealand: a randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific, 51(2024), article number 101173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanwpc.2024.101173.

2023

Journal Articles

  • Hudry, K., Smith, J., Pillar, S., Varcin, K., Bent, C., Boutrus, M., Chetcuti, L., Clark, A., Dissanayake, C., Iacono, T., Kennedy, L., Lant, A., Robinson, LJ., Segal, L., Slonims, V., Taylor, C., Wan, M., Green, J., Whitehouse, A. (2023). The Utility of Natural Language Samples for Assessing Communication and Language in Infants Referred with Early Signs of Autism. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 51(4), 529-539. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-022-01010-3.
  • Chetcuti, L., Uljarević, M., Varcin, K., Boutrus, M., Dimov, S., Pillar, S., Barbaro, J., Dissanayake, C., Green, J., Whitehouse, A., Hudry, K. (2023). Continuity of temperament subgroup classifications from infancy to toddlerhood in the context of early autism traits. Autism Research, 16(3), 591-604. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2874.
  • Smith, J., Chetcuti, L., Kennedy, L., Varcin, K., Slonims, V., Bent, C., Green, J., Iacono, T., Pillar, S., Taylor, C., Wan, M., Whitehouse, A., Hudry, K. (2023). Caregiver sensitivity predicts infant language use, and infant language complexity predicts caregiver language complexity, in the context of possible emerging autism. Autism Research, 16(4), 745-756. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2879.
  • Segal, L., Green, J., Twizeyemariya, A., Hudry, K., Wan, M., Barbaro, J., Iacono, T., Varcin, K., Pillar, S., Cooper, M., Billingham, W., Upson, G., Whitehouse, A. (2023). Estimated Therapy Costs and Downstream Cost Consequences of iBASIS-Video Interaction to Promote Positive Parenting Intervention vs Usual Care Among Children Displaying Early Behavioral Signs of Autism in Australia. JAMA Network Open, 6(4), article number e235847. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.5847.

2022

Books

  • Trembath, D., Whitehouse, A., Varcin, K., Waddington, H., Sulek, R., Pillar, S., Allen, G., Annear, K., Eapen, V., Feary, J., Goodall, E., Pilbeam, T., Rose, F., Sadka, N., Silove, N. (2022). National Guideline For supporting the learning, participation, and wellbeing of autistic children and their families in Australia. Autusm CRC.

2021

Journal Articles

  • Chetcuti, L., Uljarević, M., Varcin, K., Boutrus, M., Pillar, S., Dimov, S., Barbaro, J., Dissanayake, C., Green, J., Wan, M., Segal, L., Slonims, V., Whitehouse, A., Hudry, K., Iacono, T., Maybery, M., Renton, M., Sadka, N., Wakeling, S., Wray, J. (2021). Caregiver Psychological Distress Predicts Temperament and Social-Emotional Outcomes in Infants with Autism Traits. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 49(12), 1669-1681. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-021-00838-5.
  • Licari, M., Varcin, K., Hudry, K., Leonard, H., Alvares, G., Pillar, S., Stevenson, P., Cooper, M., Whitehouse, A., Barbaro, J., Boutrus, M., Chetcuti, L., Dissanayake, C., Green, J., Iacono, T., Maybery, M., Segal, L., Slonims, V., Wan, M., Wray, J. (2021). The course and prognostic capability of motor difficulties in infants showing early signs of autism. Autism Research, 14(8), 1759-1768. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2545.
  • Hudry, K., Chetcuti, L., Boutrus, M., Pillar, S., Baker, E., Dimov, S., Barbaro, J., Green, J., Whitehouse, A., Varcin, K., Dissanayake, C., Iacono, T., Maybery, M., Renton, M., Sadka, N., Segal, L., Slonims, V., Wakeling, S., Wan, M., Wray, J. (2021). Performance of the Autism Observation Scale for Infants with community-ascertained infants showing early signs of autism. Autism, 25(2), 490-501. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361320965397.
  • Licari, M., Alvares, G., Bernie, C., Elliott, C., Evans, K., McIntyre, S., Pillar, S., Reynolds, J., Reid, S., Spittle, A., Whitehouse, A., Zwicker, J., Williams, J. (2021). The unmet clinical needs of children with developmental coordination disorder. Pediatric Research, 90(4), 826-831. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-021-01373-1.
  • Whitehouse, A., Varcin, K., Pillar, S., Billingham, W., Alvares, G., Barbaro, J., Bent, C., Blenkley, D., Boutrus, M., Chee, A., Chetcuti, L., Clark, A., Davidson, E., Dimov, S., Dissanayake, C., Doyle, J., Grant, M., Green, C., Harrap, M., Iacono, T., Matys, L., Maybery, M., Pope, D., Renton, M., Rowbottam, C., Sadka, N., Segal, L., Slonims, V., Smith, J., Taylor, C., Wakeling, S., Wan, M., Wray, J., Cooper, M., Green, J., Hudry, K. (2021). Effect of Preemptive Intervention on Developmental Outcomes among Infants Showing Early Signs of Autism: A Randomized Clinical Trial of Outcomes to Diagnosis. JAMA Pediatrics, 175(11), article number e213298. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.3298.

2020

Journal Articles

  • Alvares, G., Bebbington, K., Cleary, D., Evans, K., Glasson, E., Maybery, M., Pillar, S., Uljarević, M., Varcin, K., Wray, J., Whitehouse, A. (2020). The misnomer of ‘high functioning autism’: Intelligence is an imprecise predictor of functional abilities at diagnosis. Autism, 24(1), 221-232. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361319852831.

2019

Journal Articles

  • Whitehouse, A., Varcin, K., Alvares, G., Barbaro, J., Bent, C., Boutrus, M., Chetcuti, L., Cooper, M., Clark, A., Davidson, E., Dimov, S., Dissanayake, C., Doyle, J., Grant, M., Iacono, T., Maybery, M., Pillar, S., Renton, M., Rowbottam, C., Sadka, N., Segal, L., Slonims, V., Taylor, C., Wakeling, S., Wan, M., Wray, J., Green, J., Hudry, K. (2019). Pre-emptive intervention versus treatment as usual for infants showing early behavioural risk signs of autism spectrum disorder: a single-blind, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 3(9), 605-615. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(19)30184-1.
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