THE family and friends of a Lockwood South man with severe autism have just nine days left until he is once again taken from their care.

Luke Modra, 27, has lived at the expansive property specially designed for his needs for several years, and in the last nine months has been under the direct care of eight support workers.

But on Saturday, his parents had to inform the workers they would no longer have a job on Monday after they were unsuccessful in convincing the Department of Health and Human Services to pay the casual wages.

By Lisa Mosley

Another group has passed a no confidence motion against the ACT Education Minister Joy Burch, this time over her handling of the boy in the cage incident.

Members of the advocacy group Speaking out for Autism Spectrum Disorder expressed no confidence in the minister, angry about claims it had been an isolated case.

Henrietta Cook, Education Reporter

Children were allegedly locked in cage-like structures at a Victorian special school and restrained with straps at another, triggering separate investigations by the Education Department.

A consultancy hired by the department is investigating practices at Bendigo Special Developmental School to determine whether there is "a risk of danger or risk of inappropriate treatment" for students.

Media Release

Members of Speaking Out for Autism Spectrum Disorder (SOfASD) passed a no confidence motion (see http://sofasd.org.au/d7/node/105) in

• Ms Joy Burch, Minister for Education and Minister for Disability; and

• the ACT Government.

SOfASD advocates for autistic people in the ACT, including students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

BY JESSICA WRIGHT

Autism will cost the U.S. $268 billion this year — roughly 1.5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product¹. By 2025, the price tag could balloon to $461 billion.

Children were allegedly locked in cage-like structures at a Victorian special school and restrained with straps at another, triggering separate investigations by the Education Department.

A consultancy hired by the department is investigating practices at Bendigo Special Developmental School to determine whether there is "a risk of danger or risk of inappropriate treatment" for students.

A separate probe by an independent education consultant is examining complaints raised by parents at Monash Special Developmental School.

THE state’s peak autism body says it warned the Government that up to 11,000 local children would need support from the national disability insurance scheme — about double the 5000 planned for — but was ignored.

Now the state and federal governments remain in a stalemate over who is going to pay for the thousands of extra children eligible for disability services and equipment.

In the meantime, families are facing growing delays to be assessed and approved for funding.

A manager at Victoria's biggest disability services provider Yooralla has been jailed for four years after he was caught by a hidden camera preying on a vulnerable cognitively impaired woman in his office.

County Court judge Paul Grant said Timothy Hampson, 52, had abused his position of trust in a shocking way.

"You put your own desires above your obligation to respect your victim's rights, her autonomy and personal dignity," the judge said on Monday when jailing Hampson for four years with a non-parole period of two-and-a-half years.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme has stopped ­creating support plans for some children in South Australia as a botched funding strategy for the state, which underestimated the number of participants by half, begins to bite.

The trial was originally funded for 5085 places despite evidence that about 10,000 children would be eligible. That figure has almost been reached without any extra money flowing from either the South Australian government or the federal government.

Almost 4700 plans have so far been made.