Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia

You might have noticed that talk of children with autism and the NDIS is everywhere today – including some pretty angry commentary. Here’s a look at what’s happened and why people are concerned.

What’s happened?

The NDIA, the government agency responsible for the NDIS, released its approach to early childhood intervention for children with developmental delay or disability.It’s called the Early Childhood Early Intervention Approach, or ECEI.

There is a new section (26/2/2016) on the NDIS website with links to new documents about early intervention generally and specifically about Autism Spectrum Disorder. Prof Roberts, this time with Prof. Williams, produced another report in the ongoing series of government reports about early intervention for autism.

Dear Prime Minister

The Health Department's recent report on The Mental Health of Children and Adolescents in Australia does not once mention autism. In this respect, Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia regards the report as negligent. The report was signed off by the Health Minister.

Autism is a growing issue for Governments in Australia since:

A leading international human rights group has highlighted the decision to place a 10-year-old autistic student in a metal cage as a violation of disability rights in Australia. 

Human Rights Watch, one of the world's most respected campaign organisations, detailed the incident in its latest annual report on abuses and concerns in Australia.

Media Release

Autism groups around the country agree that bullying of autistic students in schools must be properly addressed.

For years, Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia (known as A4) has cited published research showing bullying of autistic students in schools is a major problem and the result is abysmal education outcomes for autistic students (see http://a4.org.au/node/1068 and http://a4.org.au/node/1032).

by Rick Morton, The Australian

A showdown between autism experts and the agency responsible for the $22 billion national disability insurance scheme is likely by the end of the week with some scheme managers pushing to water down evidence about what treatments work.

by Rick Morton, The Australian

Autism experts have repeatedly told the managers of the $22 billion national disability insurance scheme they face urgent problems on two fronts that will end up reducing children’s treatment and ramping up the program’s costs by hundreds of millions of dollars.

From all of us at Autism CRC, we wish you a very safe and happy holiday season.  As 2015 comes to a close, we have reviewed the year in numbers:

• 43 research projects are underway across our three research programs in diagnosis, education and adulthood.  
• 8 projects are currently being finalised and we look forward to updating you on the results of these projects early next year.
• Our 51 Participants, together with other collaborators, across Australia and internationally are working together to transform the lives of people on the autism spectrum.
• ...

Some of these children may never have had autism in the first place, despite being diagnosed with it

THE state’s largest specialist childcare facility for autistic children is at the centre of a police and Child Protection Service investigation into allegations of assault involving two young children.

Two female staff at the Huntfield Heights AEIOU Foundation Centre are on extended leave while the investigations are under way.

The police probe is being conducted by the family violence investigation branch in the South Coast CIB, and detectives are working closely with Flinders Medical Centre’s Child Protection Service.