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:

When asked "How well is Australia respecting people's human rights?" answers indicated that people with disability are at most risk of missing out on their right to education: see https://rightstracker.org/en/country/AUS?as=hi&tab=atrisk

Read more about Human Rights tracker: autistic students

On the 12th October 2020, Mr Hoffman, the NDIA CEO, wrote a letter to NDIS participants, their families and carers. In his letter, he claimed that

The tools [for the NDIA's so-called Independent Assessment] have been ... used all over the world for many years.

A4 doubted this was true since no such tool existed for autistic people.

Previously, the NDIS was using the PEDI-CAT to assess autistic children. It is well known that this is not a suitable tool which is why the authors of the tool have been developing a revised PEDI-CAT (ASD) for some time.

Read more about NDIA's secret report on PEDI-CAT (ASD) and NDIA misinformation

A4 received the following response to a Freedom of Information request. This response is alarming because it shows the NDIA just made up the criteria and amounts for its 4 levels of early intervention support for autistic children in its consultation paper (see links below).

Read more about NDIA early intervention funding models: just make it up

A4 sent a short submission (see below) to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for its series of online regional consultations with people with disabilities, through their representative organizations. The Committee's information says:

Read more about Submission to United Nations on Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The Victorian Royal Commission released its report. It is available from: https://finalreport.rcvmhs.vic.gov.au/

The report is in 5 volumes and 4 appendices. It is a big report: the volumes range from 36Mb to 54Mb.

Very little of the report relates to autistic Victorians.

Read more about Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System - Final Report

A4 met with officials in the federal Health Department and presented the brief below. It calls for the following actions:

Read more about Brief: Autism and Mental Health

Subject:	Fwd: diagnoses and advice for autistic children
Date:	Sat, 9 Jan 2021 12:35:56 +1100
From:	Bob Buckley (A4 Convenor) <convenor@a4.org.au>
To:	Minister.Hunt@health.gov.au
CC:	Chris.Bowen.MP@aph.gov.au, Senator Jordon Steele-John <senator.steele-john@aph.gov.au>, The Hon. Linda Burney MP <Linda.Burney.MP@aph.gov.au>, The Hon. Mr. Shorten MP <Bill.Shorten.MP@aph.gov.au>, The Hon Stuart Robert MP <stuart.robert.mp@aph.gov.au>

Dear The Hon G. Hunt MP

Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia (A4) recently sent this letter to the organisations below. We are very concerned about delayed diagnosis of autistic children and the consequent long-term detriment this brings for them, their families and the community generally.