The third ASfAR Conference will be held at the University of Western Australia, Perth, with support from the Telethon Kids Institute on Thursday 8th & Friday 9th December, 2016. Autism CRC events would precede the Conference on Tuesday 6th & Wednesday 7th December 2016. Dates and information re Conference Registration will be put up on the website shortly. Registration is free but you must be a member of ASfAR to attend. If you are not currently a member, please submit a membership application form.

An inquiry into services for people with autism spectrum disorder is calling for submissions from the public, and Bendigo autism advocate Rebecca Kelly has outlined her concerns.

Our kids grow up into adults and we're going to really need to get that support happening.

Rebecca Kelly, autism advocate

Ms Kelly's eight-year-old daughter was diagnosed with autism four years ago and her son, who is now six, was diagnosed a year later.

Dozens of New South Wales teachers have been investigated for alleged assaults against students with autism, including children being sat on and placed in headlocks, Education Department data shows.

The ABC has obtained figures of alleged child protection incidents involving students with autism spectrum disorder at NSW public schools.

Of the 37 alleged incidents, management action was taken in eight cases, after the conduct was shown to have occurred.

Matthew Wearing had nightmares about going to school.

He remembers being severely bullied, and being dismissed and laughed at, as though he were a "second class student".

Eventually, at 15, he decided that he wouldn't go back. 

He missed nearly three months of year nine. 

"I did develop a fear," he says. "A fear of not being accepted. I felt it all day and all night."

Editor: Autism cases did not "skyrocket" in SA, the number of cases is completely inline with predictions. The SA Government and the NDIA ignored advice that the estimates they adopted were way too low. 

Disability South Australia is being forced to find up to $60 million in cuts, a state parliamentary committee has heard, with increased support only being offered for "must do" cases.

03 December , 2015

A Shorten Labor Government will provide an additional $2 million a year to peak disability advocacy organisations to ensure people with disability have a powerful voice in the debates and decisions that affect their lives.

On International Day of People with Disability, Labor affirms its support for advocacy services and recognises their crucial role in the successful rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Nelle Frances, Managing Director at AspergerChild.com

The Shaddock review (ABC News) released this week, highlighted that there's a lack of clear policy regarding the escalation of behavioural issues in the Education sector:-

By Lauren Swick Jordan

You’ve all heard it by now – one out of every 45 kids has autism.

With numbers that large, it seems to me that the next logical discussion needs to be around mental health. Mental health of the caregivers, of the siblings, but most importantly, of the person with autism.

We had a scare a few days ago.