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ABC News
3 minutes ago
- ABC News
Wild weather hits regions throughout NSW
Large parts of NSW are experiencing wild weather this weekend with the SES already receiving 200 calls for assistance.
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
New research into genetic links to stuttering tipped to be 'life-changing' for those with speech condition
For 10-year-old Harriet Hewitt, talking in front of people used to be a challenge. Growing up with a stutter, it was difficult to find her voice. "I couldn't really say sentences that I wanted," she said. "I would basically just want to be like other kids, but I don't want to be like them anymore." Now she speaks with confidence, after mostly overcoming her stutter — a condition which has affected four generations of her family. Stuttering affects more than 400 million people worldwide, and most commonly emerges in early childhood around the ages of two to four. Half of Harriet's siblings have stutters, along with her mum, grandmother, grandfather, great-grandfather and other family members. Now a new global study has identified a hereditary link associated with stuttering. Harriet and her family gave DNA samples, some of the 1,380 that came from WA, as a part of a global study that has discovered stutterers have a hereditary link. The research was conducted by the Curtin Stuttering Treatment Clinic in collaboration with Wayne State University in Detroit. It involved samples from one million people and identified 48 genes associated with the condition, paving the way for clinicians to predict which family members will experience the condition. Research co-author and Curtin Stuttering Treatment Clinic founder, Professor Janet Beilby said the findings were groundbreaking. "We found consistent DNA results, 48 of them, and in addition to that we found 57 [genomic] hot spots so it's very exciting because with these hot spots we can dig further," Professor Beilby said. Professor Beilby said the findings will enable clinicians to intervene earlier, crucial in treating the speech disorder. "Based on what we've found in this research, we will be able to take a DNA sample and predict if the individual is likely to stutter or not," Professor Beilby said. "It means those particular young people will be offered early intervention straight away hopefully, and in doing that we can curtail what can be otherwise a lifelong disability. Associate Professor Beilby said the research would be "life-changing for all those children who stutter". "Most children with a speech or language disorder will be bullied at school and adults who stutter may face challenges in the workplace that can negatively affect their mental health and social wellbeing,' she said. Harriet's mum Simone Hewitt said she is hopeful the next generation of her family will reap the benefits of the study. "When I look at my whole family you always wonder if there is a genetic link and what I think is absolutely amazing is that we now know there is a genetic component," Ms Hewitt said. "For my family I think it's very exciting, I think about what it could do for my grandchildren because obviously we have a strong link with stuttering and communication," Ms Hewitt said. "I think it would be absolutely amazing to know my grandchildren as infants can be tested and go right, we can start now." Harriet said she is happy the research will have positive effects on others.
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Rain set to soak East Coast as flood warnings stretch across NSW
Heavy rain is set to hammer New South Wales this weekend, prompting multiple flood warnings across the east coast. Rainfall totals between Newcastle and Moruya, reached up to 40mm in the past 24 hours and the northwest slopes and plains also received up to 30mm. Sky news meteorologist Helen Reid said the worst of the weather is set to hit Saturday with 24 hour totals up to 90mm possible. 'It has been a cold and wet week across New South Wales, with showers and rain pushing onto the East Coast in particular,' she said. 'The rain and the wind is expected to peak today with the Mid North Coast, the Upper Hunter and parts of the Northern Tablelands likely to get the heaviest falls.' A severe weather warning is in place for parts of the Upper Hunter, Mid North Coast, Northern Tablelands and the North West slopes and plains for heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding and damaging wind gusts in excess of 90 kilometres an hour. Parts of Queensland will also be hit with strong winds extending to all coasts between the Queensland border and the Illawarra on Sunday. 'The strong winds also whipping up larger powerful surf with a hazardous surf warning current for the Macquarie coast,' Ms Reid said. The wild weather is expected to ease on Sunday with showers lingering into the start of the week. 'The complex low pressure system off the northern New South Wales coast is expected to start moving away from the mainland on Sunday, dragging with it the worst of the wind and the rain,' Ms Reid said. A separate cold front is also forecast in Western Australia bringing rain, thunderstorms and hail. A severe weather warning for damaging winds and heavy rainfall is in place for areas around Perth, Bunbury and Albany. Darwin is set to be warm and sunny reaching 31C, while Brisbane is expecting showers and sunny spells, reaching 19C. Canberra will be cool with a top of 13Cwith patchy drizzle. Melbourne and Hobart are expecting to stay overcast with some sun and highs of 15C and 14C respectively. Adelaide should see some sun, reaching a high of 14C.
