Lisa Wachsmuth

The National Disability Insurance Scheme is failing the Illawarra residents who need it most* according to a new study.

Just over a year after the roll-out of the NDIS in the region, the University of Wollongong study found almost one third of participants were not even aware of the scheme.

Rick Morton

A Queensland psychologist ­accused of once leading a New Age cult which promised paying clients the ability to “move between ­dimensions” has been working as an approved provider of a federal autism program since 2015.

Natasha Lakaev — who ran courses through a program called Universal Knowledge from a Northern NSW property known as Omaroo in the early 2000s — once claimed to be a “metaphysician” who could heal HIV and other diseases and later retrained as a psychologist.

Luke Henriques-Gomes

Medical review found only 2% did not meet criteria and scheme would cost more than it saved

The federal government has scrapped a policy to review the medical condition of 90,000 people on the disability support pension (DSP) after less than 2% people were found to be ineligible.

Autism appears in about one per cent of children but because its rarely spotted before the age of three many don't get the early intervention work that could greatly improve their development down the track.

In an Australian first trial to begin next year a team of WA researchers hope to change that and fill a gap for autism early-intervention services.

While most likely best-known among the public as a treatment for autism, the field of behaviour analysis has far-reaching beneficial applications. Unfortunately, however, it’s often portrayed in the media in a negative light, focusing on inaccurate stereotypes regarding punishment and control.

So, what exactly does it involve?

Behaviour analysis is a natural science approach to understanding behaviour, learning, language and cognition. As a science, it’s conceptually similar to the disciplines of psychology, biology, chemistry and medical science.

Andrew Whitehouse, University of Western Australia

You can’t test for autism with a simple blood test or scan, which can make the diagnostic process difficult and dependent on the skill and experience of the clinician.

Maggie Coggan

Social Services Minister Paul Fletcher announced the release of a national standard for diagnosing autism on Tuesday, and said it would vastly improve the consistency of diagnosis of people with autism.

“This guideline brings greater clarity to the way autism is diagnosed – that’s good news for the families of people undergoing assessment,” Fletcher said.    

Rick Morton

A Coalition plan to introduce a new national guideline for autism diagnoses will further raise demand for clinical assessments that already cost thousands of dollars and could end up dis­advantaging children if they are not implemented properly, an ­expert has warned.

Paul Fletcher says guidelines developed in consultation with people living with autism, researchers and doctors

Melissa Davey

New national guidelines for diagnosing autism announced by the federal government on Tuesday will have no impact on those with autism previously deemed eligible for funding under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the minister for social services, Paul Fletcher, has said.

Rick Morton

Guidelines for autism cases will be streamlined nationwide and doctor-shopping for diagnoses will be eliminated, under a series of reforms aimed at stemming a blowout in the National Dis­ability Insurance Scheme.

The reforms, to be announced by the Morrison government today, have been heralded as a revolution in the way it would smooth out “significant variabilities” in cases confirmed by ­clinicians.