Productivity commission's final report into disability care and support

By bobb |

The Gillard Labor Government today announced that it will start work immediately with states and territories on measures that will build the foundations for a National Disability Insurance Scheme, following the release of the Productivity Commission's final report into the matter.

The Government asked the Productivity Commission to examine reform of disability support services because we believe that the system we have today is not delivering the kind of care and support Australians expect for people with disability.

The main recommendations of the Productivity Commission are:

Lessons for the NDIS from Indigenous programs

By bobb |

Governments are working through COAG to plan and implement a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Based on past experience with the Closing the Gap initiative for Indigenous Australians and similar initiatives, COAG involvement may be very bad news for people with a disability.

A damning review of federal spending on Indigenous programs found billions of dollars paid out had dismal results. The previously secret Cabinet review says past approaches to fixing Indigenous disadvantage clearly failed.

Only US school can help our son

By convenor |

A MELBOURNE family is moving to the US for "emergency education" because it believes the Victorian school system has failed their 11-year-old son.

The autistic boy is from one of at least nine families suing the Education Department through the Federal Court for discrimination and what they claim is inadequate education.

Some families say they have spent up to $100,000 on therapy, tutoring and legal fees in their bids to get their "left behind" disabled children up to speed.

2/6/2011 response from Mental Health Minister

By convenor |

In response to our letter in April 2011, A4 received the (completely unsatisfactory and inappropriate) response below from the Ministerial Liaison and Support Section of the Department of Health and Ageing.

This completely missed the point that A4 asked that a submission be considered for the Budget ... the opportunity is now well past.

Autism rates skyrocket in state schools

By bobb |

Jane Hansen

A BLOWOUT in the number of autistic students at NSW public schools may have been triggered by doctors misdiagnosing children to secure extra funding.

Department of Education figures obtained by The Sunday Telegraph show one in 74 students at state schools is autistic despite the accepted Australian prevalence being one in 160.

The state government spends more than $1.1 billion each year on students with disabilities.

Psychologists call for prompt end to restrictive practices in disability sector

By Anonymous (not verified) |

Urgent action must be taken to ensure Australians with disabilities - including children and young people - are protected from unnecessary restrictive practices that put their lives and wellbeing at risk, along with those of the people working with and caring for them, according to the Australian Psychological Society (APS).

schools restrain students with autism/ASD

By bobb |

The ABC 7.30 Report had a story about schools physically restraining students with ASD (see Hidden shame).

Other schools just kick students out ... which forces their parents out of work. This practice is encouraged by the legal system (see http://a4.org.au/a4/node/338 and http://a4.org.au/a4/node/353).

The 7.30 Report story blames the chronic lack of teacher training, but the problem is exacerbated by the lack of trained psychologists and ASD-specialists in Australia.

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