Dr Helen Nugent, Chairman

Mr Robert De Luca, Chief Executive Officer

National Disability Insurance Agency

GPO Box 700

Canberra ACT 2601

cc: Ms V Rundle

Dear Dr Helen Nugent and Mr De Luca

Subject: A4 resumes publishing its communications with NDIA

When we met on 4-Jul-2018, A4 agreed to trial a different approach to our communication.

On reflection, your different approach really has not worked. It has not improved communication or resulted in a better NDIS for autistic Australians. For example, at our meeting we discussed the fact that the DSM-5 requires two severity levels in an ASD diagnosis … but this is not what the NDIS eligibility criteria say. Since then, the NDIS has taken no discernible steps toward describing autism eligibility appropriately for the NDIS.

The Autism Advisory Group was announced prior to our meeting in July 2018. More than 7 months on, there is no discernible outcome.

A previous Minister assured us that the NDIS would consult us and other stakeholders in the autism/ASD sector before making any change that affects autistic people. The NDIS has breached this commitment repeatedly; the NDIS has honoured this commitment more in the breach than through its observance.

With a federal election imminent, A4 can no longer be muzzled by your one-sided expectation, an agreement that you failed repeatedly to honour.

A4 hereby gives notice that it will return to publishing any communications that it considers may interest members of our ASD community.

Yours sincerely

Bob Buckley

Convenor, Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia (A4)

website: http://a4.org.au/



A4 is the national grassroots organisation advocating for autistic people, their families, carers and associates. A4 is internet based so that Australians anywhere can participate.



“The first step in solving any problem is recognising there is one.” Jeff Daniels as Will McEvoy in The Newsroom.