Federal Government unveils plan to improve lives of Australians with autism

ABC NEWS (Australia)

It's hoped the country's first national autism strategy will improve outcomes for the almost three hundred thousand autistic Australians. The federal government has unveiled the seven year plan after months of consultation with people with lived experience, their families and advocates.

Transcript

00:00Well, significant because it is Australia's first national autism strategy.

00:07It puts us in line with other countries that already have a similar strategy like the UK,

00:11US and Canada.

00:13And today, the government has put forward $42.3 million towards this plan.

00:20It'll roll out over seven years.

00:23And some of the money includes funding for things like a dedicated body to be set up

00:28to turn autism focused research into evidence based kind of tools and guidance.

00:36Also money for better communication and information to support people and their families pre and

00:41post diagnosis, better screening, also more sensory and quiet spaces in particular places,

00:47for example, shopping centres, where autistic people may become overwhelmed or find them

00:52difficult spaces to navigate.

00:56And also a significant amount of money to really assess and evaluate what programs are

01:02in existence at the moment, and how well they are working and and what can be improved.

01:08So there's a lot there.

01:10The Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth has thanked everyone for their participation.

01:16This was a huge undertaking from of course, led by the autistic community in a group of

01:22people, but also many people who put forward their submissions after a draft was released

01:28last year.

01:29Let's have a listen to what Amanda Rishworth had to say.

01:32These are not actions government have come up with.

01:35These are actions that autistic people themselves have said would make a difference.

01:41And that's what's so powerful about this strategy.

01:43I think the significance can be seen in what a few people have told me this morning about

01:48the fact that this is the first strategy and to have a strategy at all is significant because

01:53it recognises that autistic people have unique support requirements, and that they are operating

02:00in a world that is inherently not built for them.

02:03And this is an opportunity to really turn around some of the poorer outcomes that autistic

02:07people face here in Australia.

02:09This aim of the whole strategy is really to increase knowledge and awareness and acceptance

02:14and understanding of autism and how autistic people, you know, what their needs are.

02:22And particularly around some of those poorer outcomes, you know, autistic people are six

02:27times more likely to be unemployed than non-disabled people in the population.

02:31They're also overrepresented in the justice system.

02:33So advocates really looking for change and really pinning their hopes on this strategy,

02:40not being left on the shelf.

02:42They want to see some of these critical spending or this critical spending actually be, you

02:48know, fulfilled and for it to bring about some meaningful change.

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