The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability has released a Commissioner’s report on Public Hearing 10: Education and training of health professionals in relation to people with cognitive disability.

The report makes 9 findings and 12 recommendations in relation to the education and training of health professionals across Australia including nurses, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists and speech pathologists.

Luke Henriques-Gomes

Woman tells inquiry how her experiences at ‘coffee school’ in $1bn-a-year federal program damaged her health and left her heartbroken

On her first day in an exciting new job, Mzia walked in to find a small “Breville-style” coffee machine placed on a computer desk in the reception.

Next to the machine was a container of long-life milk.

Mzia looked at the small Breville machine and told a senior manager: “This is not a commercial machine.”

Melbourne mum Leah Dean knows better than most that attending a COVID-19 vaccination appointment is anything but simple for children with autism.

Loud noises, crowds and bright lights anywhere, let alone at a busy immunisation hub – coupled with the uncertainty of a brand-new experience – can make her teenaged son very anxious.

But with the help of a set of special step-by-step instructions called a social script, 13-year-old Alexander was recently able to successfully have both his shots.

When Karen McKenzie received an unexpected letter from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) in August, she had to read it three times before it sank in.

Her son Jarrod, who has autism and severe intellectual disabilities, needs help to eat, get dressed and use the bathroom, but the NDIS funding that paid for his carers had been cut by more than half.

Tamara May, Monash University and Carol A Adams, Durham University

Being autistic, but not diagnosed, can lead to a lifetime of struggles and being misunderstood for women.

We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned about the harmful impacts the proposed Religious Discrimination Bill will have on Australians with disability.

We all support protection against discrimination on the ground of religion and of religious freedom as essential to any thriving democracy, but this must not be allowed at the expense of the rights and dignity of others.

Lish Fejer

It's been a week since Dylan Alcott was awarded Australian of the Year, and he was clear in his acceptance speech; people with a disabilities deserve to be included in all facets of life; including being loved.

Jodi Rodgers is a Sexologist Counsellor at Birds and Bees and assists the participants of ABC TV's Love On The Spectrum find love.

She agrees with Dylan, lets stop dismissing the importance of finding love.

Al Campbell

Autism comprises an exponentially wide range of presentations – but the discourse surrounding it doesn’t

A fellow author recently alerted me to their inclusion of an autistic character in their upcoming debut. This very sweet young writer felt the need to be open with me, given I have two sons on the spectrum and that autism is outside their lived experience. This writer also let me know that they would completely understand if, on account of this depiction, I chose not to read their book.

The Department of Home Affairs issued a tender seeking research into:

What role, if any, neurodiversity (and autism spectrum disorder [ASD] in particular) plays in the context of radicalisation to violent extremism?

See https://www.avert.net.au/call-for-proposals-neurodiversity or the link below.

Add this to the list of evidence of the government's "war on autism" - see

Caitlin Fitzsimmons

The average waiting time for a child neurodevelopmental assessment in the public system has blown out beyond two years at several services across Greater Sydney, while other services have slashed their waiting lists by tightening the eligibility criteria.

The long waiting times mean children miss out on crucial early intervention for developmental delays or neurodivergent conditions such as autism, or that paediatricians “fudge” a diagnosis to get the child the help they need.