Advocacy

The following list shows A4's recent advocacy. This list contains both publications (including briefs and submissions) and communications (letters & emails).

To find a (free) disability advocate to help you, try:

In relation to A4's advocacy for improving essential hospital services for profoundly autistic Australians (see https://a4.org.au/node/2758), A4 received the following responses from governments and Ministers that were contacted initially.

NSW response
federal response

The NSW response is positive. We are keep to see how this develops ... both at Westmead hospital (inner-western Sydney) and in other NSW hospitals.

Read more about Westmead's One Stop Shop responses from governments

The Labor government announced its Thriving Kids program without saying who it was for. When disability representative organisations (DRO) met officials (4/9/2025 at Parliament House) and asked who it was for, the officials said “work to understand those numbers is yet to be started”.

Read more about Thriving Kids, the NDIS, and autism

The letter below was sent to a key health (former DSS) official raising issues and requesting a meeting. A more senior official made sure he got it.

One of the issues was how many mild to moderately autistic children were in the NDIS ... and likely to be caught up with the Thriving Kids program. He told a DRO Forum (4/9/2025) that work had not started ... which is different to what the NDIS told the media previously (see https://a4.org.au/node/2750).

He has not acknowledged the letter nor responded.

Read more about Letter to DSS/Health official - meeting request to discuss issues

Almost, two months after A4 made its submission to the Thriving Kids inquiry, the Committee got around to publishing a redacted version of the submission - see https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=aa16eb63-911d-40fb-a99f-3d….

A4 is a national disability representative organisation (DRO) for autism that is recognised by government. A4 is the only national recognised DRO for autism representing the full autism spectrum.

Read more about Thriving Kids Committee finally publishes a redacted version of A4's submission

The federal government is conducting an inquiry into its Thriving Kids thingy. It's committee called for submissions.

Unsurprisingly, A4 made a submission on time - see email below dated 3/10/2025 (which was the due date).

Read more about A4 Thriving Kids submission - not published by committee

Dear Minister Butler MP

I recently became aware of the Westmead's One Stop Shop pro bono service for profoundly autistic patients (and others with severe disability who otherwise do not access many crucial health services). This service was described on the ABC in 2023.

Read more about urgent funding needed for Westmead's One Stop Shop for patients with profound disability

Tessa Koumoundouros

New research suggests that those diagnosed with autism in late childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood are more likely to have a different type than those diagnosed in early childhood.

Read more about Study of Over 45,000 People Finds Autism Is More Than One Condition

Andrew Leigh MP looking serious with crossed arms

The Hon. Andrew Leigh MP responded negatively to A4's request that the ABS's SDAC survey collect data in 2025 (or 2026) ... ahead of the government's recent decision to wait until 2028.

The Minister's (undated, received 9/10/2025) response is available below.

A4 does not understand why the survey would return to a six year cycle during the early stages of NDIS stabilisation (or major reform), the start of Thriving Kids, and the design phase of Foundational Supports for people with disability.