Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia

As yet there is no sign that governments in Australia even recognise the particularly bad outcomes reported for people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A4 says, so far the parts of governments in Australia that are responsible for treatment, rehabilitation, education, etc. just ignore reports from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) that people with ASD have especially poor education, employment and disability support outcomes.

The Australian Government squandered its opportunity to create a Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Living with Autism Spectrum Disorders (see https://www.crc.gov.au/Information/ShowInformation.aspx?Doc=14th_Selecti... ).

Click here to see the prospectus and a presentation.

The prestigious science journal, Nature, has an article on the rising prevalence of autism. It says ...

Shifting diagnoses and heightened awareness explain only part of the apparent rise in autism. Scientists are struggling to explain the rest.

... and much more (see more here).

The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission is conducting research into the experiences of students with disability in Victorian schools.

This follows an increase in complaints to the Commission relating to disability discrimination in education, and concerns raised by parents of children with disability, disability advocacy groups and members of the Commission’s Disability Reference Group about the provision of education services to students with disability.

The Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs omitted a submission from A4 to its Inquiry into Commonwealth funding and administration of mental health services. The Committee's final report does not mention autism at all ... it does not acknowledge that it received a submission from A4.

An edition of the science journal, Nature, focuses on autism (click here).

Michelle Griffin, August 26, 2011

VICTORIAN education authorities insist they have the right to restrict the number of integration aides and other specialists that they hire - even if it means discriminating against students with disabilities.

And the state says it would cost almost $1 billion if it had to to hire an integration aide for every student with an IQ of 75 or less, which it could not afford.

the inaugural meeting of the Australasian Society for Autism Research (ASfAR) will be held next week at APAC in Perth on Saturday 10th. See the attached flyer for details.