She said when everything overwhelms her daughter, Halia takes to wearing headphones to shut-out the external onslaught. Unlike many boys struggling through their early years, Haliaâs autism has taken longer to diagnose. Kylie said a psychologist first hinted Halia had autism at the age of five. However no formal declaration was made at the time, costing her years of access to âlife-changingâ specialist support systems. The drawn-out formal assessment and diagnosis did not start for Halia until she was 10 years old. Kylie said that she realised her daughterâs social awkwardness, high dependence on routine and the quirky speech patterns that made her stand out from other children.