A panel of autism experts commissioned to advise the National Disability Insurance Agency on the condition has recommended children with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis receive at least 20 hours a week of early intervention, delivered either one-to-one or in a small group.

In a report to be released on Friday, the panel, which comprised a range of academics, teachers and advocates,  backed the best practice intervention for young children, which can cost up to $80,000 a year.

Qld kids with autism will stay in class

Queensland's education minister has ruled out separating children with autism from the rest of their class, despite teachers complaining they disrupt their peers' learning.

Kate Jones and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Wednesday opened the new $2 million Autism Hub and Reading Centre - an Australian first - in the inner-Brisbane suburb of Woolloongabba.

Ms Jones was asked whether the government would reconsider a policy to keep children with autism in the classroom, given the level of disruption teachers say they create.

Examine the teeth of a reticent patient in their car? Sure.

Use a heavy X-ray apron as a blanket to soothe a patient with autism? Happens all the time.  

"Jess is treated with dignity and respect, and why shouldn't she be?"

Sandra Younghusband

Andrew Whitehouse, University of Western Australia

One of the great and enduring mysteries of autism is what causes the brain to develop so differently. The behavioural differences of many individuals with autism are so apparent that it seems intuitive that the causes would also be obvious.

New South Wales education officials have suspended their investigation into claims a Hunter boy with autism was locked in a cupboard, pending a police probe.

Police confirmed they were investigating the alleged incident, after the ABC revealed claims made by the boy's father David Roy.

He alleged his son was locked in a cupboard while attending a special needs unit at a Hunter region school in 2013.

Labor state member for Charlestown, Jodie Harrison, asked the Government for an independent investigation.

Media Release

Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia, the national grassroot autism advocacy group known as A4, regards the Health Department's omission of autism from its recent report on The Mental Health of Children and Adolescents as negligent.

A4 sent the following message to the Queensland Government via its contact webpage ... 

Much of the information on your webpage: https://www.qld.gov.au/disability/commu… is out of date.

Over 2% of school-age children in Australia are now diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

The DSM-5 was published back in May 2013 — the term "autism spectrum disorder" replaced the terminology/categories described in the DSM-IV.