Media Release

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) kicks off in the ACT in less than two months but it is far from ready for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The NDIS is extremely difficult for people with ASD to navigate.

BLAIR RICHARDS April 24, 2014

Rebecca Taylor with her seven-year-old son Willow, who has autism. Picture: RICHARD JUPE Source: News Limited

REBECCA Taylor is speaking out on behalf of other Tasmanian parents whose children have a disability.

She decided to share her story after the Mercury yesterday reported some children with disabilities were being sent home or asked not to attend school ­because of a lack of support.

By Richard Hastings, University of Warwick

Brighton resident Dennis Crowley is the chief executive of BioAutism, and is researching autism. Picture: Valeriu Campan Source: News Limited

A RETIRED Brighton scientist is leading the charge to unlock the mystery of autism — and is calling for volunteers to help him in his quest.

The equivalent of 7 per cent of Australia's workforce claims a disability pension — more than double the population of the capital Canberra — and the government needs more recipients to work to rein in a A$138 billion social-security bill it says is unsustainable.

By Angus Whitley

Allen Rankin says living on Australian welfare payments designed to help him survive his mental disability instead left him contemplating suicide.

Please note: in 2012, 1 in 62 Australian children were diagnosed with Autistic Disorder or Asperger's Disorder; they were formally registered to receive Carer's Allowance from Centrelink (see http://a4.org.au/a4/node/695 and http://a4.org.au/a4/node/622).

Lucie Van Den Berg Weekend Herald Sun, March 29, 2014

By Rebecca Quilliam

The recent case of a 14-year-old with Asperger's syndrome excluded from his school has highlighted that teachers are not being taught how to deal with students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

An Auckland mother says her daughter, who has autism, will stay in her special needs school until teachers receive that training.

Senator the Honourable Eric Abetz, Minister for Employment, is getting bad advice. Without having asked his Department for relevant information, Senator Abetz told the ABC's Q&A audience

The circumstances and the statistics that have been put to me on many occasions and to the Government indicates that the growth in the Disability Support Pension is unrelated to the other factors that you might suspect would see that change ...

Bad advice leads to bad policy and mad Government. [Wrong] assumptions are the fathers of all great f**k-ups.

Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes has slammed suggestions the disability support pension is being rorted. Photo: Wolter Peeters

Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes has hit back at the idea that there are too many people on the disability support pension, slamming claims that the system is being rorted as "completely unhelpful".