Media Releases

3/10/2007

The Howard Government has today announced a $190.7 million package to support children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD,) their parents and carers.

Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Mal Brough, said the package announced by the Prime Minister included an early intervention program to assist children with autism, worth $116 million over five years.

A Canberra coroner has called on the ACT Government to provide more funding for coronial support services.

Coroner Ron Cahill made the comments during an inquest into the death of a 21-year-old disabled man.

Stephen Moon had been sedated after having his wisdom teeth out at Calvary hospital.

Today, the court heard it was likely he had died from pneumonia he had contracted while on ventilation.

Baroness admits to 'disastrous legacy' of problem children in mainstream teaching. Liz Lightfoot reports

Baroness Warnock, the educationalist whose report led to the drive to include children with special needs in mainstream classes, admitted yesterday that the policy had failed and left "a disastrous legacy".

She is urging the Government to carry out a "radical review" of the closure of special schools, which she said were better able to provide a reassuring and personal environment for emotionally vulnerable pupils than large mainstream classes.

"Governments must come to recognise that, even if inclusion is an ideal for society in general, it may not always be an ideal for schools," she said. "I think it has gone too far. It was a sort of bright idea of the 1970s but by now it has become a kind of mantra and it really isn't working."

By Danielle Cronin
Health Reporter, Canberra Times

A "silent plea" went out yesterday for political parties to improve the lot of people with autism, as well as that of their families and carers.

More than 600 chairs, bearing the photographs of people with autism and related syndromes, were set up outside Parliament House in the "first national silent plea" for members of autism families.

The wife of former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer and mother of Harrison, said the event would fire up advocacy groups like never before.