"autism research" may not be about autism

By bobb |

A recent article on the ABC's Ramp Up website (see Everyone is on a spectrum) reports on an online survey that included "people who identify with Autism Spectrum Disorder".

One can but wonder how many "people who identify with Autism Spectrum Disorder" actually have or even should have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) ... and how representative those people are of the ASD "phenotype".

It turns out that the article describes findings that are really about "neurotypicals":

Welfare trap pushes half of Aussies with a disability into poverty

By bobb |


The equivalent of 7 per cent of Australia's workforce claims a disability pension — more than double the population of the capital Canberra — and the government needs more recipients to work to rein in a A$138 billion social-security bill it says is unsustainable.

By Angus Whitley

Allen Rankin says living on Australian welfare payments designed to help him survive his mental disability instead left him contemplating suicide.

positive story of kindness and excellent behaviour all around ...

By bobb |

Naomi receives a call from a mobile number I don't know.

"Is this Naomi?"

"Um, yes."

"There's a man called *** here and he's looking for you. He's pretty freaked out."

I say "I am coming down."

It turns out that *** has an intellectual disability and this is his first trip in a taxi by himself. He got a little muddled and couldn't figure out what next.

I get downstairs and the most average looking bloke you can imagine is standing there with him.
He asks if it's all OK, and can he go now.

Naomi shared this story and wrote:

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.

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.

Subscribe to Australia