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Schools need more support for children with autism

By bobb |

The federal government’s decision to abandon the Gonski funding model was a huge blow to students with autism, many of whom already find school extremely challenging, academics speaking at a major conference in Sydney have said.

Macquarie University Special Education Centre director Mark Carter said funding was a critical and ongoing challenge for the sector, which was ''clearly looking like it’s going to be under strain with the current state and federal budget issues''.

Petition - education funding for ASD: 1700 plus signatures

By bobb |

25 Jul 2014 — we have 1715 signatures support for our cause is growing and yesterday we emailed the Minister for Education Martin Dixon, the shadow parliamentary secretary for Education Colin Brooks, the member for Yan Yean Danielle Green, the member for Mill Park Lily D'Ambrosio, the liberal candidate for Yan Yean Sam Ozturk and the greens candidate for Yan Yean Daniel Sacchero to let them know that support for our cause is growing and to ask what a vote for them in novemb

Victoria's shame: Disabled children dumped at hospital

By bobb |

Editorial: Shame, Minister, Shame.

The article below shows Victoria's Disability Services Minister, Mary Woolridge, will believe anything bureaucrats tell her but believes very little to do with realities of people with autism spectrum disorder.

Apparently, she is oblivious to her own NDIS schedule ... since she looks to the NDIS and ignores that her disability services outside the NDIS trial site are stagnant or in decline. Besides, people outside the NDIS trial sites still have years to wait for access to NDIS funced services and supports. Then there is the issue that the NDIS does not fund respite ... so the Minister's proposed solution for these people is misguided and uninformed. The value of such a Minister is extremely dubious. 

Services and support for people with autism spectrum disorder are especially poor because officials have very poor understandings of autism spectrum disorder. This story shows that senior health officials in Australia have no understanding of the clinical services the people with autism need to treat their chronic behaviours that are left untreated (even refused treatment) for years. They simply do not understand that respite is not treatment. It beggars belief that Victoria's senior health officials regard respite as the best treatment and rehabilitation for chronic behavioural challenges ... as the article below shows.

It is hard to believe that neither the hospital nor the union asked about respite. If they couldn't find a respite place, then the family had no chance. And DHS's "no wrong door" glib tag clearly failed on this occasion. The Minister is cruelly portraying this devastated family as naive nuisances. Shame Minister, shame!

Inspiring change

By bobb |

By HANNAH KNIGHT

July 19, 2014, 1:30 a.m.

 
  • TRUE BELIEVER: Daniel Giles will speak at an autism conference in Melbourne next month. Picture: JIM ALDERSEY<br />
  • TRUE BELIEVER: Daniel Giles will speak at an autism conference in Melbourne next month. Picture: JIM ALDERSEY<br />
  • TRUE BELIEVER: Daniel Giles will speak at an autism conference in Melbourne next month. Picture: JIM ALDERSEY<br />
  • TRUE BELIEVER: Daniel Giles will speak at an autism conference in Melbourne next month. Picture: JIM ALDERSEY<br />
  • TRUE BELIEVER: Daniel Giles will speak at an autism conference in Melbourne next month. Picture: JIM ALDERSEY<br />
  • TRUE BELIEVER: Daniel Giles will speak at an autism conference in Melbourne next month. Picture: JIM ALDERSEY<br />
  • TRUE BELIEVER: Daniel Giles will speak at an autism conference in Melbourne next month. Picture: JIM ALDERSEY<br />
  • TRUE BELIEVER: Daniel Giles will speak at an autism conference in Melbourne next month. Picture: JIM ALDERSEY<br />
  • TRUE BELIEVER: Daniel Giles will speak at an autism conference in Melbourne next month. Picture: JIM ALDERSEY<br />
  • TRUE BELIEVER: Daniel Giles will speak at an autism conference in Melbourne next month. Picture: JIM ALDERSEY<br />
  • TRUE BELIEVER: Daniel Giles will speak at an autism conference in Melbourne next month. Picture: JIM ALDERSEY<br />
  • TRUE BELIEVER: Daniel Giles will speak at an autism conference in Melbourne next month. Picture: JIM ALDERSEY<br />
 

+10

TRUE BELIEVER: Daniel Giles will speak at an autism conference in Melbourne next month. Picture: JIM ALDERSEY


DANIEL Giles prefers to focus on ability rather than disability.

Reporter Hannah Knight speaks to Daniel Giles about an upcoming autism conference ...

The 24-year-old Bendigo resident was diagnosed with autism at the age of two and started his education at the Bendigo Special Developmental School.

With the support of his parents, who embraced the "I can" attitude, Daniel integrated into a mainstream primary school, completed secondary school and went on to study at university.

Autism parents being 'preyed on'

By bobb |

By Richard Hooper Face the Facts, BBC Radio 4

Child with autism

Children with autism are "falling prey to untested approaches" to the disorder, a leading charity has said.

The National Autistic Society said therapies with no supporting evidence were being sold to parents.

The warning comes after a BBC investigation found the use of dietary supplements and biomedical therapies being widely touted as a treatment.

There is no cure for autism and current best practice involves the use of behavioural and educational therapies.

BBC Radio 4's Face the Facts programme found that treatments, for which medicines regulator NICE says there is no clinical evidence, are readily available in the UK including:

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