Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia

Lynda Fallon

As the cost of the NDIS balloons, and the government looks for ways to make savings, one battle-weary mum offers some budgeting suggestions.

Dear Mr Shorten, firstly, I want to say thank you for the NDIS. It’s a scheme with the very best of intentions to give people like my son, Ben, their best chance at fulfilling their potential — and I love that we are lucky enough to live in a country where people in power care.

Stephen Lunn, SOCIAL AFFAIRS EDITOR, MELBOURNE

The need for a diagnosis of autism early in a child’s life to secure NDIS support may have “unforeseen consequences” as they face the long-term stigma of being labelled disabled, National Disability Insurance Agency chair Kurt Fearnley says.

Stephen Lunn

New data showing just over one in four US children on the autism spectrum have “profound autism” could help the National Disability Insurance Scheme as it looks to manage growing numbers of autistic kids needing support, a leading expert says.

Vladimir Hedrih

A study of autistic children and adolescents in Australia showed that those suffering from anxiety, depression or similar symptoms (apart from autism) showed a more pronounced tendency to try to mask their autistic traits in social situations. Adolescents were also more likely to camouflage their autistic traits than children. The study was published in Autism Research.

Jennifer "Jay" Palumbo

Autism is on the rise among young children.

Earlier this year, a new study in the journal Pediatrics looked at more than 4,000 8-year-olds in the New York and New Jersey areas and found that autism rates have tripled over the last 16 years.

Expressions of interest are now open for the National Autism Strategy’s Oversight Council and its Working Groups.

This is an exciting opportunity for autistic people and representatives from the autism community to make sure the voices of autistic people, their families, carers and those that work to support them are at the heart of the National Autism Strategy.

The Oversight Council and Working Group members will guide the co-design work to develop and implement the Strategy, with Working Groups to consider four key areas:

"Having our child diagnosed with autism was the biggest challenge for me and my husband. Our marriage was even on the verge of breaking down, had we not sought help from experts," mum-of-two Ghia Man reveals to SBS Filipino.

Key Points

Anna Macdonald

The development of South Australia’s autism strategy will help make the invisible “visible”, according to an occupational therapy lecturer.

The South Australian government closed submissions for its discussion paper on its first autism strategy earlier this week.

Rhiannon Bowman

The fragmented nature of early childhood vision screening across Australia could be overcome if the eye health sector can implement a new nationwide program by 2030. The topic is close to the heart of PROF FRANK MARTIN, as outlined in his Council Lecture presentation.

The pursuit of an Australia-wide early childhood vision screening program has been a passion project for Professor Frank Martin throughout his career, and one that has endured many false starts.

Chris Edwards, Griffith University

Media personality Em Rusciano has expressed shock after another radio presenter accused her of “leaping on the bandwagon” by widely sharing her autism diagnosis and its impact on her daily life.