Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia, known as A4, recently received a copy of a letter (MC17-001051, 16/11/2017) that you sent to Ms Prue Car MP. The Hon Ms Car MP passed the letter on to her constituents. Eventually, A4 received a copy.
Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia (known as A4) has growing concerns over the operation of the NDIS in regard to early intervention for autistic children[1]. A4 received reliable reports about the NDIS’s approach.
I received a letter on the 20/3/2017 (see below) that said you (the NDIA) would "be in contact to arrange a suitable meeting time and date in the week beginning the 19th June 2017" (see also, http://a4.org.au/node/1438). As yet, I have not heard from you. Is there any progress towards arranging this meeting?
Below is a link to a response on behalf of The Hon Christian Porter MP, Minister for Social Security, to A4's concerns about the lack of autistic representation on the NDIA's Independent Advisory Council (IAC).
The Hon Christian Porter MP
Minister for Social Services
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
cc: The Hon Jane Prentice MP, Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability Services; Mr Alastair McEwin, Disability Discrimination Commissioner; Mr David Bowen, NDIA CEO; Dr Helen Nugent AO, Chair of the NDIA Board.
In the previous letter, Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia (known as A4) expressed concern that "the wording that Government uses appears to exclude autistic people from the Disability Support Pension" and asked whether that was the Government's intent.
A month ago, a NDIS planner in the ACT told a mother that the NDIA had "two publically available reports that the NDIS is using to avoid funding ABA therapies in kids aged 5 and above i.e. school-aged kids". The NDIS planner told the mother:
once kids reach school, the schools are meant to fund appropriate behavioural management plans (also occupational and speech therapy),
as kids after school are too tired to have therapy, then these unnamed studies state that ABA therapy is no longer effective, and
Speaking Out for Autism Spectrum Disorder (SOfASD), a local ASD advocacy group in the ACT, wrote to the ACT Minister for Education raising concerns about the lack if discernible progress with getting registered/certified behavioural service and support for autistic students in ACT schools. SOfASD asked for a meeting but the Minister's response ignored their request.
