A4 Steering Committee break down

By convenor |

Dear A4 member

Recently, the A4 Steering Committee separated due to personality differences, significantly different views and some name calling. Basically, the committee was not working.

In any case, A4 needs leadership renewal and A4 needs more push from members. It needs more members participating in the activities of the organisation, adding their energy to its advocacy. Also, A4 needs members saying what they want and how to achieve A4’s vision and mission (see http://a4.org.au/a4/visionmission).

Steering Committee separation ...

By convenor |

Dear A4 member

Differences have arisen within the A4 Steering Committee (A4 SC) that cannot be resolved.

As a result of discussions and with regret, a majority of the A4 SC decided the divisions in the A4 SC were detrimental to the organisation and cannot be overcome. A majority of the A4 SC have agreed that separation is the best way for everyone involved to move on.

Support in short supply for disabled

By bobb |

Bruce Bonyhady | May 07, 2009

The Australian (see http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,25439463-32542,00.html)

AUSTRALIA'S disability support system is inequitable, fractured, under-resourced and slowly collapsing under the weight of its own inadequacies, while sub-optimally consuming billions of dollars of taxpayers' money each year.

Autistic kids 'have enlarged amygdala'

By bobb |

May 7, 2009 - 10:44AM

 

Young children with autism appear more likely to have enlarged amygdala - the part of the brain associated with registering faces and with expressing key emotions, according to a study released on Monday.

Described in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, the study compared the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results of 50 autistic children and 33 control children.

The children's brain scans were taken at age two and again at age four.

Right to an Ordinary Life - National Press Club

By bobb |

Hon Bill Shorten MP

Member for Maribyrnong
Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services

Bill Shorten spoke on the 01/04/2009 at the National Press Club. The publicity (see http://www.npc.org.au/speakerArchive/bshort.html) said:

The Rudd Government has put the social inclusion of disadvantaged groups – including people with disability – at the core of its vision for Australia.

Compensation case against the Victorian Dept of Education

By Karnak |

I was very interested in the news item in the latest A4 update about Paige Walker and her son Alex who were taking the  Victorian Dept of education to court to use for compensation for her son's part time attendance at school due to  little school aide funding and  she having to take him to school each day and clocking up so many miles.

Bill Shorten launched a new information website

By bobb |

The media release (see http://www.alp.org.au/media/0209/msdcsfcs240.php) says ...

Parents and carers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) will benefit from a new information website created as part of the $190 million Helping Children with Autism package.

 

The website was launched today at Parliament House by the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services Bill Shorten.

 

Proposal for a National Disability Insurance Scheme

By convenor |

There is growing support for a National Disability Insurance Scheme (see http://www.natdis.com.au/). A paper on the full proposal can be downloaded from http://www.natdis.com.au/NDIS.pdf.A4 members are encouraged to consider the proposal as tell us what they think about how such a scheme would affect people with ASD and their families. We have a forum at http://a4.org.au/a4/forum/NDIS

The website says ...

National Disability Strategy: discussion paper and response

By convenor |

The Australian Federal Government is creating another National Disability Strategy (see http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/disabilities/nds.htm).

The consultation was spectacularly short … about 6 weeks. The government launched its discussion paper on 17th October 2008. The closing date for comments was 1st December.

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