The Office of the Public Advocate stands with the disability advocacy sector in requesting that the NDIA reconsider its proposal to introduce independent assessments.

The NDIA has said independent assessments are to be part of the access process in early 2021. The assessments will at first be used to determine the eligibility of people applying for access to the NDIS as well as to determine reasonable and necessary supports to be included in a participant’s plan.

Claire Sadler

"It was a half hour bus to the station, a 15 minute train to Rockingham, a half hour bus to Kwinana bus port, and then another hour bus out to the Rockingham, Fremantle Naval Yard then there was a half hour walk from there."

Those are the words from Alex Hutt, explaining his over two hour journey just to get to his previous unpaid work experience.

JOHN FERGUSON

Two teachers and two support staff discussed putting up to six disabled children in a cage fight at a regional Victorian school ­already facing three investigations after complaints of mistreatment relating to dozens of alleged incidents.

The Weekend Australian has obtained evidence of a shocking online discussion by staff at the Latrobe Special Developmental School in Gippsland, in which they talk about creating a cage fight for up to six children, all of whom had disabilities.

Josh Bavas

An autism awareness advocate is calling on schools across the country to ensure they properly treat children with a disability, after revelations a Sydney school is under investigation for installing locks on rooms for students who misbehave.

The New South Wales Department of Education is investigating a Penshurst West Public School, in Sydney's south, after concerned parents discovered locks were installed on a small "sensory room".

Katerina Ferekos, whose seven-year-old son Yianni is enrolled at the school, raised concerns with the principal earlier this year.

David Trembath, Griffith University; Andrew Whitehouse, University of Western Australia; Hannah Waddington,

As far as job descriptions go it doesn't get much better than the role of psychologist Heath Fletcher.

Key points:

• Founded in Victoria to help children with autism, demand for The Lab classes is growing across Australia
• The Gold Coast branch has three classes with four mentors every Saturday
• Participants who have never had a friend before are able to make social connections and improve their social skills

"My job is to make smiles, so it really is the best job in the world," he said.

Alex Turner-Cohen

An exhausted mum with a child with severe autism is calling on the Australian government to do more for children with special needs while in hotel quarantine.

Brenna Russell, 29, arrived in Sydney four days ago from Los Angeles and has been quarantining in Zetland’s Meriton Suites with her severely autistic son.

She has bruises on her arms from her son’s tantrums and she also fears for his safety.

Five year old Sebastien Russell has autism, ADHD, seizures, and a genetic variation of the NFIX gene that hasn’t been found before.

Joel Magarey

Andy Southam was a “sparky, chatty, funny” 24-year-old, his sister Judith McDonald says, when he left the family residence to enter a group home for men with intellectual disability in 1993.

“Back then,” she says, “he was interested in anything and everything.”