Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia

Why language matters.

Erin Bulluss, Ph.D., and Abby Witts

Language is a powerful tool; it can be used to describe the plain, the profound, and the profane. With language, we make choices not only about what we say, but how we say it. Surely we can all recall a time when we were hurt or buoyed by something said to or about us, not because of the statement itself but, rather, how it was framed.

The UN Committee reviewing Australia's implementation and compliance of the CRPD published its Concluding Observations - see https://www.afdo.org.au/wp-content/uplo…

Their reports fails to mention autistic Australians. Autistic Australians are the biggest distinct primary disability type in the NDIS and the NDIS is the dominant mechanism for tackling CRPD issues.

Melissa Martin

In October 2018, the family of a severely disabled man became so concerned about bruises he was suffering while living in full-time care that they asked for them to be investigated.

Key points:

Rebecca Gredley

Participants in the national disability insurance scheme will keep receiving enough support despite its $4.6 billion underspend, the minister responsible insists.

The Morrison government revealed on Thursday the budget was almost out of deficit, thanks to less money going to the NDIS.

NDIS Minister Stuart Robert has defended the underspend, saying no participant had received less money as a result.

He said 100,000 participants "couldn't be found" or were counted twice, suggesting less money was now needed for the scheme.

The Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is inquiring into the the NDIS's planning process.

A number of autism/ASD-related organisations, including A4, made submissions to the inquiry. The Committee published submissions here. The submissions by autism groups are:

2. Autism Family Support Association (PDF 580 KB)

5. Autism Spectrum Australia (PDF 143 KB) 

63. Irabina Autism Services (PDF 48 KB) 

69. Intervention Services for Autism and Developmental Delay (ISADD) (PDF 42 KB) 

The NDIS sent a letter to A4 responding, on behalf of the Minister, to A4's email 3/7/2019.

This letter is a leading candidate for A4's 2019 Suppository of Wisdom Award. You can view the letter via the link below.

Around the world, the number of people diagnosed with autism is rising. In the United States, the prevalence of the disorder has grown from 0.05% in 1966 to more than 2% today. In Quebec, the reported prevalence is close to 2% and according to a paper issued by the province's public health department, the prevalence in Montérégie has increased by 24% annually since 2000.

Tony Wright

Mr Fischer, AC, died at the Albury-Wodonga Cancer Centre, surrounded by close family members.

He had undergone extensive treatment for acute myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood cells, over the past 10 months.

Most of his treatment had taken place at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Autism Advisory Group (AAG) met on 1 August 2019 to discuss the implementation of the recently announced Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) remediation plan to resolve delays and backlogs for children with disability in accessing supports.

The AAG’s feedback on the National Disability Insurance Agency’s (NDIA) ECEI approach and delays experienced by families has been instrumental in the development of the remediation plan, announced by the Minister for the NDIS, the Hon Stuart Robert MP, on 26 June 2019 (External website). 

The United Nations is again reviewing Australia's response to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia (A4) submitted a report on Australia's response to the CRPD in relation to the rights of autistic Australians. The key points A4 made are:

Australia’s laws and its legal system:

do not protect the rights of persons with disabilities
protect, and possibly promote, disability discrimination against autistic citizen in disability services.