Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia

Helen Campbell knows the risk her daughter Annie poses. Her needs have been deemed so complex, that the South Australian Government has funded two carers at once to look after her in recent years.

Despite current funding through Disability SA, Ms Campbell and her eldest daughter Lisa have struggled to find agencies or carers willing to take Annie on a long-term basis.

She is worried this will only be more complicated when her daughter transitions to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) at the end of June.

Ginny Russell  

About half of all people with autism also have intellectual disability. But a great deal of autism research is drawn almost exclusively from participants without intellectual disability, as my colleagues and I reported earlier this year¹.

And yet, the researchers tend to generalize the findings across the whole spectrum.

Today we call on autistic Australians, families, carers, and the broader autism community to have their say on the future of autism research priorities. Individuals and organisations involved in providing services and supports, as well as managing policy that affect autistic people and the autism community are also asked to contribute.

The outcome of this community consultation process will help guide the future focus of autism research activities and research funding in Australia.

 

Hannah Furfaro

A panel of autism scientists and advocates is charged with a tall order: making recommendations for the care of autistic people worldwide. The panel is slated to meet for the first time today after the 2019 International Society for Autism Research annual meeting in Montreal.

The Australian Autism Alliance released its 2019 federal election autism scorecard! It helps understand how the major parties will create #Change4Autism if elected to govern on Saturday 18 May.

Download the #Change4Autism campaign from www.australianautismalliance.org.au/election2019!

The four major priorities of the Change4Autism Election Manifesto were:

Richard Willingham

Children with high-needs disabilities are living in child protection because their parents can no look longer after them, with advocates blaming a lack of support from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for forcing parents to give up their children.

Simon Baron-Cohen

It remains controversial—but it doesn't have to be

At the annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) in Montreal, Canada, this week, one topic likely to be widely debated is the concept of neurodiversity. It is dividing the autism community, but it doesn’t have to.

Cathy Binger

Many children with autism have little to no functional speech, and their families are often desperate to help them communicate.

In today’s connected society, these families are likely to hear about a variety of communication apps — some specifically targeted at children with autism — available for mobile devices, including iPads. Often the advertisement includes a video of a child who starts communicating using the app’s voice output, effortlessly asking for a cup of juice or saying, for the first time, “I love you.”

Nicholette Zeliadt  

People with autism who avoid social interactions or have troubles with daily living skills — from using a toilet to preparing meals — are at increased risk of an early death, a new study suggests¹.

Mum Kristy is at her wits' end trying to get help for her 13-year-old daughter.

"She just goes crazy," Kristy said.

"It can start off by just being silly, she gets quite hyper, silly, and then she can get abusive verbally. From there she can get physical."

Mum Kristy is at her wits' end trying to get help for her daughter. (A Current Affair)