News/Announcements

NSW: Inquiry into the implementation of the NDIS and the provision of disability services in New South Wales

MEDIA RELEASE

An Upper House inquiry has been established to examine the provision of disability services in New South Wales.

The Hon. Greg Donnelly MLC, Chair of the Committee said: 'The disability sector has undergone significant reform in recent years. This inquiry is an opportunity to examine a range of issues effecting the sector. A key area of interest is the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)'.

World's largest autism grant will transform research landscape

The largest research grant ever given for neurodevelopmental conditions has been awarded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative to an international consortium academically led by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London.

The €115 million grant, titled Autism Innovative Medicine Studies-2-Trials (AIMS-2-Trials), will increase our understanding of autism and help develop new therapies to improve health outcomes and quality of life for autistic people.

FoI: NDIA website mistake

Dear Mr Buckley

Re: FOI 17/18-285

Thank you for your email.

I can confirm that the Agency has received your below Freedom of Information (FOI) request and please find attached correspondence in relation to that request.

I can also confirm that the Agency has received five other requests from you seeking information under FOI, dated between 22 May 2018 and today, and will be providing responses in due course.

Timeframe for acknowledging requests

epic fail in stakeholder engagement

Subject: epic fail in stakeholder engagement
Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2018 09:28:13 +1000
From: Bob Buckley (A4 Convenor) <convenor@a4.org.au>
Organization: Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia (A4)
To: Dr Helen Nugent OA <chair@ndis.gov.au>, CEO.OFFICE <ceo.office@ndis.gov.au>
CC: The Hon. Dan Tehan MP <dan.tehan.mp@aph.gov.au>, Seselja, Zed (Senator) <Senator.Seselja@aph.gov.au>, The Hon Jane Prentice MP <jane.prentice.mp@aph.gov.au>, senator.steele-john@aph.gov.au, Senator Carol Brown <senator.carol.brown@aph.gov.au>

Dear Dr Nugent and Mr De Luca,

I met with Ms Gunn on 29-May-2018, as you organised.

If the meeting was meant to be stakeholder engagement, then it was an epic fail.

to NDIA CEO & Chair

Dr Helen Nugent
Chairman

Mr Robert De Luca
Chief Executive Officer

Thank you for you letter, 18 May 2018 in response to A4's media release.

Mr Peter de Natris did not "advise [me] by phone on 15 May 2018" of anything. He did not call me. I note that a spokesperson for your organisation told The Guardian (see https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/may/18/ndis-mistakenly-posts-changes-restricting-access-for-autistic-children) that someone from the NDIA called me ... but that is not true.

Australian Autism Research Council established by Autism CRC

We are pleased to announce we are establishing an Australian Autism Research Council to review and determine national priorities for autism research and address areas of need for the autistic and autism communities

Our vision is that the priorities established by the Australian Autism Research Council will guide the future focus of research activities and research funding by government as well as research and development undertaken by non-government organisations and other industry members who provide programs and services for the autism community.

Submission on autism/ASD and the NDIS in the ACT

A4 and SOfASD made a joint submission to the ACT Standing Committee on Health, Ageing and Social Services about the NDIS. It concludes with the following section:

Conclusions and suggestions

The NDIS has enormous potential to improve the lives of Australians with disability and the whole community. But to achieve its goals, the NDIS needs to be so much better than it is now.

The NDIA seems to have issues particularly with autistic participants.

Re: NDIA, autism stakeholders and early intervention [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

Dear Ms Nugent

Thank you for your reply and for your apparent intervention.

Please note that I met with Mss Faulkner, McClelland and O'Neill in January 2018 (and previously in December 2016) with the alleged purpose "to discuss [A4's] concerns"; but the meetings were not discussions. I explained what happened in the latest meeting in my previous letter; the NDIA officials were unprepared for the meetings so they did not discuss A4's concerns related to early intervention for autistic children.

While I explained again A4's concerns early intervention for autistic children in the "meeting", the subsequent letter from Ms Faulkner, ostensibly to summarise "the discussion", omitted all the concerns that I raised (in both the meeting and preceding letters). Ms Faulkner's follow-up letter shows clearly that the NDIA officials did not recognise (or summarise) any of A4's concerns.

World Autism Awareness Day 2 April 2018 Empowering women and girls with autism

Australian Autism Alliance logoMedia Release

As declared by the United Nations, the 2018 World Autism Awareness Day focuses on the importance of empowering autistic women and girls and involving them and their representative organisations in policy and decision making to address these challenges.

"Girls with disabilities are less likely to complete primary school and more likely to be marginalised or denied access to education. Women with disabilities have a lower rate of employment than men with disabilities and women without disabilities. ...

Concerns over AAT processes for NDIS reviews [DLM=For-Official-Use-Only]

Thank you.

Bob Buckley

Mr Buckley,

I have referred your feedback to management for consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Kate Lynch
Executive Officer
Administrative Appeals Tribunal
Principal Registry

Dear Ms Lynch

Thank you for your interest. However, I am concerned that ongoing reviews of decisions relating to young children who need early intervention are delayed indefinitely in the AAT process.

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