Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia

Adam McCrimmon, University of Calgary

I often get asked “Does my child have Asperger’s?” in my clinical work. Or, “Do I have Asperger’s?”

These are challenging questions to answer. They have stimulated much debate among clinicians, researchers, and those who have identify with the term over the past several years.

There is a related Change.org petition you can sign: https://www.change.org/p/pru-goward-don-t-let-the-ndis-leave-kids-homel…

Jade Macmillan

Parents of children with severe disabilities in NSW are "terrified" they could lose access to around-the-clock care due to a funding stoush between the State Government and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

About 1,000 children with disabilities access voluntary out-of-home care across the state, including overnight respite services and residential placements.

Talissa Siganto

Queensland's Police Commissioner says he backs the officers who shot a teenager in the chest after a domestic dispute on Wednesday afternoon.

Jai Hunt, 16, was allegedly threatening police officers with a knife when they arrived at his home in Springfield, south-west of Brisbane.

The Police Union maintains officers had no option but to shoot Jai.

Dear Minister and Assistant Minister

Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia, known as A4, recently received a very inadequate response (MC17-001434) to our emails to you dated 5/11/2017 and 11/12/2017. Our emails to you expressed extensive concerns about the NDIS and specifically its approach to early intervention for autistic children.

Ms Christine Faulkner, General Manager of the NDIS, says: “The Assistant Minister has asked me to reply to you on her behalf”.

The result must be so disheartening for you. Ms Faulkner’s response to us, on your behalf, is so disappointing for a collection of reasons.

A response (of sorts) to this letter can be seen at http://a4.org.au/node/1654 (it is also very disappointing).

LINA ZELDOVICH

Starting next year, clinicians worldwide may be using a new, streamlined set of criteria to diagnose autism.

The criteria are part of a highly anticipated update to the “International Classification of Diseases,” a diagnostic manual produced by the World Health Organization (WHO). The latest draft of the manual, dubbed ICD-11, collapses autism, Asperger syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) into a single diagnosis of ‘autism spectrum disorder.’

Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing

The Andrews Labor Government will invest more than $22 million as an immediate response to the Inquiry into Services for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing Martin Foley today announced the funding would cover eight priority areas of action to be addressed as part of a comprehensive Autism Plan.

That money will be used to improve support for children with autism in the early years and throughout their schooling.

Dear The Hon Jane Prentice MP

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.

Your letter said ...

A4 appreciates the report from the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the NDIS resulting from its Inquiry into Early Intervention. The report was released on 7/12/2017. Notable observations from the report include:

Emergency intervention to remove disabled man left in prison after NDIS providers refused to care for him

By Louise Milligan

VIDEO: Francis is in jail because no disability provider would care for him and he had nowhere else to go. (ABC News)

"Trying to contain a hurricane," is how Briana Blackett describes life as the sole parent of two boys with autism.

Key points:

Complaints that the NDIS is not delivering the help needed by patients
NDIS acknowledges teething problems and promises to 'significantly improve'
Productivity Commission to hand down NDIS inquiry recommendations

"Max can just out of nowhere start screaming, like horror film screaming, pinching himself, biting himself, throwing himself on the ground," she said.