Autism news
flawed NDIA approach implicitly blames parents for autism
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) adopted a flawed approach that blames parents implicitly for their child's autism and poor long-term outcomes. The NDIA is charged with funding early intervention for children with disability … and “disability” includes autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The NDIA's Operational Guideline – Access – Early Intervention Requirements can be downloaded here.
As well as describing the NDIA's eligibility criteria for ASD as gobbledygook (see here), community members regards the NDIA's approach to Early Intervention for children with ASD as flawed. The NDIA adopted the “Seven Key Principles” approach described in a document from a “Workgroup on Principles and Practices in Natural Environments” (see download page here)
There are strong feelings in the the ASD community that the principles the NDIS suggest/adopted are dangerous, misleading and offensive. The NDIA's early intervention principles ignore the relevant science and deny children effective treatment for their ASD. Clearly, the principles were written by someone/persons who are not informed about intervention, treatment or the science of intervention for ASD. Members of the ASD community are deeply disappointed that this document is used as the NDIA's official position on early intervention related to ASD.
Doubt on future of autism care centre
Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centre manager Kathryn Fordyce spends one-on-one time with Jethro Goodwin, 5. Picture: Grant Wells.
By EMILY WOODS, Oct. 10, 2014.
THE only regional autism early learning centre in Australia is at risk.
There are questions around continued government funding of the Burnie Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centre [ASELCC] and the Burnie City Council has confirmed it cannot continue its support of the centre.
‘‘It’s a really tight fiscal environment and you don’t know what might get the chop,’’ ASELCC manager Kathryn Fordyce said.
Research into the success of the centre over the four-year period of federal funding is being undertaken by the University of Tasmania Rural Clinical School, but it looks like the research may not be completed in time to influence the government’s decision.
‘‘The timing is not great in terms of using the data from the research to influence the government’s decision,’’ Ms Fordyce said.
‘‘We’re due for review in June 2015, we would expect that they’re going to make a decision on the service before we’ve got any results of our study, unfortunately.’’
Ms Fordyce said the positive feedback they had received from families, schools and the education department proved that ‘‘the service provides such a critical support to families’’.
Venerable Canberra bush band supports Autism Asperger’s
Part of the movable feast that is Canberra's Franklyn B Paverty
Well known Australian bush band Franklyn B Paverty celebrated its 40th anniversary with a fundraising performance at one of Canberra’s original hotels this week.
Paverty returned to its spiritual home, the Ainslie Hotel, more recently known as Olims and now the Mercure, for a performance in front of diehard fans, with proceeds going to Autism Asperger Advocacy Australia.
Paverty’s bass player of the past 14 years Bob Buckley is convenor of the volunteer advocacy group, so what better cause could there be?
The band has recorded and performed around Australia – from the opening ceremony for the new Parliament House in Canberra to music festivals nationwide.
ACT Parent warns private providers not ready for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
A Canberra carer says private providers are not prepared enough to take over the ACT government's early intervention programs for children with disabilities in January.
In April, the ACT government announced it would be withdrawing from early intervention programs in Canberra at the end of 2014 as part of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, leaving some parents concerned that children with disabilities could be left in limbo.
Canberra mother Tracey Trewhella, whose three-year-old daughter, Hailey, suffered from global development delay, said she didn't believe there would be enough private providers to cover the ACT government's withdrawal from the sector.
At the Early Intervention and Therapy Services Expo on September 13, Ms Trewhella said out of the 50 staff holders who attended, only five intended to run an early intervention program in the ACT, two of whom didn't currently have a presence in the territory.
WA study finds Autism sets back families $35,000 per year
By Families of children with autism are facing tens of thousands of dollars in costs and lost income, a Western Australian researcher has found.
The study — thought to be the first of its kind in WA — set out to measure whether a delayed diagnosis increased long-term costs for families.
But the paper, published in this month's edition of journal PLOS ONE, also established the median cost of a child being diagnosed with autism as $34,900 per annum.
Curtin professor and joint author Torbjorn Falkmer said the findings, drawn from the responses of 317 Western Australian families, had huge implications for parents.
"The majority of that cost, 90 per cent of it ... is because of the lack of the chance to have employment because parents have to stay home and take care of the children with autism, because they don't get the support they need," Dr Falkmer said.
"I think the system we have right now is showing us that parents are being forced to stay home, because they can't take a job because someone's got to take care of the kids.