needing a National Autism Strategy

needing a National Autism Strategy

A4 identified employment, education, health and disability services as areas of government that need to substantial reform to deliver equitable outcomes and basic human rights for autistic Australians.

Ideally, all these areas of government would work cooperatively and with the autistic and wider autism-related sectors of our community to achieve improved outcomes. We need a National Autism Strategy encompassing all these areas.

Recently, the Senate Select Committee on Autism published its report (view online here). The report contains 86 recommendations (81 in the main report and 5 in the Green's dissenting report). Recommendation 1 of the reports says:

5.62 The committee recommends that the Australian Government develop a National Autism Strategy and accompanying implementation within
12 months to drive nationally-coordinated action to improve services and supports for autistic Australians. The National Autism Strategy should:

  • be both person- and family-centred;
  • address whole-of-life needs for people across the breadth of the spectrum;
  • align with other national strategies, including the National Disability Strategy; and
  • be informed by the recommendations of this inquiry and the Disability Royal Commission.

Many of the other recommendations add detail to the contents of a Nation al Autism Strategy.

In the 2022 election campaign, the two major parties announced plans for a National Autism Strategy. Following are links to their announcements:

The ABC article on these announcements is available at https://a4.org.au/node/2439

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