Autism experts are calling for changes in diagnostic testing, saying the current approach is failing to identify the true number of females with the disorder.

They say a massive imbalance in the number of autism diagnoses between the sexes could be attributed to more subtle symptoms in females that are either dismissed by clinicians, or undetected by current testing, which focuses on signs associated with male behaviour.

LAUREN NOVAK POLITICAL REPORTER THE ADVERTISER

MORE than 1800 children will not be able to join the national disability insurance scheme this financial year as promised, because the administrative body is struggling to process applications fast enough.

In a letter obtained by The Advertiser, the head of the National Disability Insurance Agency warns it is “unlikely” children over the age of nine will be able to join the scheme before mid-next year because of delays in processing applications.

Larissa Nicholson, Reporter

Tim Chan has severe autism and cannot speak or write. He uses an electronic voice-output device to communicate and write poetry. Photo: Getty/Paul Jeffers

“TALK to families” is the plea to experts reviewing how Autism is treated under the National Disability Insurance Scheme from the Bonnyrigg Heights mother of two autistic children.

Grace Fava, who is also the Autism Advisory and Support Services president, is concerned the real picture of life for people on the autism spectrum and their families is being lost and the only way to overcome this is true consultation.

“Don’t just talk to families who have high functioning kids, talk to those who have to relinquish their kids,” she said.

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''.

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

by Virginia Hughes

Imagine you walked down the street and asked random people what autism is. What would they say? My guess: They’d talk about social skills, and the rising prevalence, and probably the vaccine nonsense. And they’d almost certainly mention that it happens to boys.

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