Show news for a region of your choice (mostly Australian news).

letter to Senator Fifield, Assistant Minister responsible for disability services and supports

By convenor |

Dear Senator Fifield

The following raises concerns about the likely and imminent demise of crucial services for children with autism. I understand that the contracts for the Autism Advisers (funded as part of the Commonwealth Government's Helping Children with Autism package) in South Australia and in the Australian Capital Territory have not been renewed. As a result of the NDIS, the Autism Adviser service in these regions will cease soon unless those contracts are renewed.

US CDC reports autism rate is 1 in 68 (2010 data)

By bobb |

A recent media release (see http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/p0327-autism-spectrum-disorder.h… ) says

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 68 children (or 14.7 per 1,000 eight-year-olds) in multiple communities in the United States has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This new estimate is roughly 30 percent higher than previous estimates reported in 2012 of 1 in 88 children (11.3 per 1,000 eight year olds) being identified with an autism spectrum disorder. The number of children identified with ASD ranged from 1 in 175 children in Alabama to 1 in 45 children in New Jersey.

Note that recent (2012) Australian data on the prevalence of ASD shows 1 in 62 children in this country have a diagnosis ... see http://a4.org.au/a4/node/695 and http://a4.org.au/a4/node/622 There is nothing to celebrate in rising autism rates because people who are properly diagnosed with autism have significant disability that "requires support".

With one in 100 Australians diagnosed as ‘on the spectrum’, autism may well be the disorder that defines this generation

By bobb |

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

media shame: Australian's dog-whistle reporting on NDIS

By bobb |

The Australian newspaper cited outdated information (see article) to dog-whistle right-wing discontent over the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The article, published 29/3/2014, cited the average cost for the first 3 months over subsequent (much more indicative) data from the first six months of the trials. As the article says, the average cost dropped to $40,000 per person in the second quarterly report.

Minister for Employment gets bad advice ... makes for bad policy and mad government

By bobb |

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.

Disabled not rorting the support pension, Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes hits back

By bobb |

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".

National disability scheme is excluding people affected by autism

By bobb |

Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme's (NDIS) Operational Guidelines – Access are dysfunctional in relation to autism spectrum disorder. The NDIS fails many people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), denying them the services and supports they need.

People with ASD are among the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in Australia. The Government is not giving people with ASD a fair go. The message is simple. Government needs to act to support people with ASD and to improve their outcomes. The NDIS eligibility criteria are designed to exclude some people with autism spectrum disorder from the NDIS, people who are assessed as needing disability services by allied health professionals with specific expertise in ASD. And for those people with ASD who are deemed eligible for the NDIS service and support, NDIS individual planners (gatekeepers), who mostly lack expertise in and understanding of autism, reject some requests for essential disability services and supports.

Following is the evidence and justification for this simple claim that the NDIS, the scheme created to address the enormous disadvantage that Australians with a disability experience, in its initial implementation is failing people with ASD.

employ people with a disability - can you afford not to?

By bobb |

This video is worth watching. It discusses the substantial benefits of employing people with a disability.

Benefits include more productivity and profitability. Proponents appearing in the video are serious businesses.

Can businesses afford to not employ people with a disability? Really!

Why can't Australian employers see this? How much damage is employer short-sightedness doing to this nation's economy?

Subscribe to Autism news