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.

Few would dispute that children who are exhibiting signs or symptoms of autistic spectrum disorder should be referred and tested. It is when we talk about screening every child for autism that the debate becomes heated.

BY SIRI CARPENTER

Autism is usually thought to be a lifelong condition, but a small number of children lose the core symptoms and shed the diagnosis. Some researchers are beginning to explore how common this may be, and why some children outgrow autism.

The Department of Human Services, together with HP Australia and Specialist People Foundation have expanded their acclaimed Dandelion program to Brisbane, giving young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder access to a career in the IT sector.

Minister for Human Services Senator the Hon Marise Payne said 13 people have this week commenced a three year traineeship with the department where they will work as software test analysts.

Like most parents, Alex Baltins​ wanted to find the best school for her son before he started kindergarten and made inquiries with a couple of schools near her home in Sydney's south.

"They sounded quite keen until I said my child has autism. Then it was like, 'Sorry, no'," she said. "I felt as if no one wanted my son."

A quality education experience for a student with disability is still likened to winning the lottery. 

Children with Disability Australia

What’s the most reliable way to know if your child has autism? Is it a genetic test? Or are more traditional behavioral assessments, which measure talking and social skills, more accurate? The latest research provides some answers