By Annemaree |

I am very concerned the NDIS Will not support Parents/Carers of adults with Autism/Aspergers there seems to be fundamental flaws in the NDIS answers to questions on how system is monitored who will supply support how it will be introduced in rural areas and how eligibilty is determined Have gone unanswered by the supporters of a NDIS. Adults with Autism/Aspergers who do not have a defined intellectual disability already miss out on supported accommodation and other assistance especially in Rural areas where support is minimal at best if a NDIS Is to succeed and be based on a system like medicare then it needs to be available to everyone with a disability who doesn't receive current suppport and the eligibilty and accountability needs to be clearly defined do we want to contribute to a scheme that our children may not be eligible for- annemaree

Annemaree is right ... the ASD community needs to be wary of the NDIS, and other policy developments. Politicians, bureaucrats and their sycophants in the disability sector claim that generic disability services help all people with a disability, but a recent analysis of ABS data (see http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/ProductDocumentCollection?OpenA…) shows that outcomes for people with ASD are often significantly worse that average outcomes for people with a disability. So they are wrong.

They just ignore facts and anything suggesting that their preferred service model is not effective for people with ASD.

These people are likely to be wrong about how the NDIS will affect people with ASD.

The majority of people misunderstand and underestimate our needs as we are labelled (and appear to be) "high functioning". I am tired of people ignorantly saying or implying that things could be worse for me, or that I should be grateful that I do not have low functioning Autism or some other highly visible disability.

We will likely be left out of the NDIS - not considered disabled enough to receive any support at all. I am going to talk about the elephant in the room here - I would be better off crashing a car into a tree and acquiring brain damage. It seems that society needs exceptionally visible evidence of disability, or the tragic loss of highly prized "normal" functioning through accident or disease, before they even consider providing support. Stuff the fact that we spend our entire lives in cycles of low SES, high substance abuse, high morbidity and mortality, high suicide rates, high prevalence of depression and trauma, low employment, chronic and unaddressed medical conditions, and higher dependence on welfare...etc etc.

I sincerely believe people are lucky to have a child with a highly visible and "acceptable" disability, such as vision or hearing impairment, instead of ASD. Then at least they have an instant buffet of long-standing funding, well-supported charities, tailored education, public empathy, and government resources to help them cope and adjust, all extending the lifespan and quality of life of those affected. I encourage anyone to argue to the contrary. The quiet and acquiescent silence of the isolated ASD population, and the overwhelming ignorance of the dominant neurotypical majority, feeds the ongoing misunderstanding that we have minimal to no needs. Ironically, really basic support aimed at the right level would provide many of us with enough resources to help ourselves.

What can be done about this? Who exactly is advocating for us?