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Waleed Aly responds to Pauline Hanson, opens up about raising his autistic son: 'He's thriving'

By bobb |

Waleed Aly gave a compassionate plea to remove the social stigma from autism, especially for children living with the disability.

The Projecthost gave an interview with Hit Network's Carrie & Tommy on Thursday, where he shared how he and wife Susan Carland are raising their nine-year-old son Zayd, who is autistic. Zayd was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum in 2011. 

Senator Hanson needs to go back to school

By convenor |

Media Release

The Australian Federation of Disability Organisations today condemned comments by Senator Pauline Hanson who suggested that children with disability should be removed from mainstream schools.



Senator Hanson told the Senate this morning that children with disability did not belong in mainstream classrooms because they were disruptive and, as a result, teachers spent too much time with them at the expense of other students.



Pauline Hanson says autistic kids should be removed from mainstream classes

By bobb |

Matthew Killoran

ONE Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson announced this morning that her party will back the Federal Government’s $18.6 billion school funding package.

But she also said “we need to get rid of” autistic children from mainstream classrooms, arguing teachers had to spend too much time with them at the expense of other students’ education.

She said parents and teachers had raised the issue with her of children with disabilities or autism in mainstream classrooms.

Police officers agitate people with autism, worsen situation in a third of encounters, study finds

By bobb |

Nick Boisvert

Ontario-wide study also found that people with autism are more likely to interact with police

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder are more likely to have adverse, agitating interactions with police, according to a new study released by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

In an 18-month study involving 284 young people and adults with autism in Ontario, 16 per cent reported having an interaction with police — a number far higher than the general population, according to researchers.

Family seeks damages amid allegations boy with autism locked in 'cage' at Sydney school

By bobb |

The operator of a private school for children with autism is being sued by a Newcastle family that alleges their autistic son was locked by teachers in a structure akin to a cage.

The family alleges the boy was put in a lockable fenced structure he called a cage at an Aspect-run school in Sydney in 2012.

The family has since relocated to the Hunter Valley and is seeking damages from Aspect in the Newcastle District Court.

The family has alleged negligence, assault and wrongful imprisonment.

Autism Tasmania offers support to Giant Steps

By convenor |

Hayden Johnson

It will be some time before the National Disability Insurance Scheme fully services the needs of Tasmanians living with a disability, the chief executive of Autism Tasmania has declared.

The comments of Terry Burke, head of the state’s peak not-for-profit group for people living with autism, come one day after it was revealed a Giant Steps’ program would close.

Giant Steps autism support scheme for young adults to close after NDIS funding change

By convenor |

Annah Fromberg

Laura Ferris was just six when she moved from interstate to attend Tasmania's Giant Steps school which had a growing reputation for its work with autism disorder.

The not-for-profit independent school was founded in 1995 by a group of dedicated parents and local community supporters who were committed to ensuring specialised education for children on the autism spectrum.