PENNY TIMMS

Australian children are missing out on vital early treatment for autism spectrum disorder because of a lag in diagnosis, according to the Australian Medical Association.

AAP

AMA position statement on Autism Spectrum Disorder recommendations:

Mr Bob Buckley

Convenor

Autism Asperger’s Advocacy Australia

convenor@a4.org.au

Dear Mr Buckley

Thank you for your email of 12 October 2016 to the Assistant Minister for Social Services and

Disability Services, the Hon Jane Prentice MP, regarding best practice early intervention for

autistic children and continuity of supports under the NDIS. The Minister has asked me to reply

to you on her behalf.

Rick Morton, The Australian

The $22 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme is being tested in the federal court on the “opacity” of its funding decisions in a key case that could have significant implications for the support provided to disabled people and the financial sustainability of the entire project.

Rachel Browne

Cheryl Paradella​ was only just keeping her head above water, managing a demanding full-time teaching job while caring for two children with multiple disabilities.

"It's like walking on eggshells, you just don't want to upset the applecart," she said.

"How do you try to keep the peace and lead a normal life, whatever normal is? I only managed because I had good support from respite services."

Henrietta Cook

For years, they were told nothing was wrong with their daughter.

Grace – or Poss as she is known – slept for only a few hours a night, refused to eat, struggled to follow instructions and took everything literally.

When a friend jokingly said "what are you going to do, hit me?", Poss responded with exactly that, striking her in the face. And when she was asked to hop to the dinner table, she bounded through the house on one foot. 

AAP

A jump in the number of children with autism has sparked concerns about whether the National Disability Insurance Scheme can keep up with the growing demand for support services.

Federal government data obtained by Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia shows the number of children with autism spectrum disorder rose 9.4 per cent to 78,951 in the year to June 30.

More than 6,000 children were diagnosed during the year, at an average rate of 16.5 each day.

Rick Morton

The number of children with ­autism has jumped almost 10 per cent in the past year alone, adding to a surge of diagnoses which have left families and government scrambling for answers.

Unpublished data from the ­Department of Social Services shows there are almost 80,000 children aged 15 and under with a primary disability of autism who qualify their parents for the Carer Allowance (child), with slightly more than 6000 diagnosed in the year to June.

But there appears to have been a marginal slowdown in the rate of increase, with diagnoses growing at an average 18.3 per cent a year between 2004 and 2011 but 10.9 per cent since 2011.