World first research report on Australia's First Peoples experiences of autism
Positive Partnerships is proud to have collaborated with Macquarie University on a new research report titled 'We Look After Our Own Mob: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Experiences of Autism'. On Tuesday 18th February this report was launched at the State Library of New South Wales by the Honourable Linda Burney MP, NSW Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians.
The report shares dialogue and insights from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families on how they feel about the state of autism-related services in their communities, as well as what changes are needed to enable autistic children to feel secure, safe and supported at school. Focus too is placed on how we can all best honour the rights of autistic children to maintain authentic connection to their culture and community.
The Andrews Labor Government has released a five-year plan to provide autistic Victorians greater opportunities for choice and community participation.
Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Luke Donnellan today launched the Victorian Autism Plan with representatives of the Autism Plan Advisory Group who contributed to the plan’s development.
The Victorian Autism Plan sets out actions to improve the lives of autistic Victorians and their families and carers, backed by $7.1 million in funding.
The NDIS Quality and Safety Commission has published its Positive Behaviour Support Capability Framework for NDIS providers and behaviour support practitioners June 2019.
This document defines Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) as:
The NSW Education department has released its latest "disability strategy" (download here).
In relation to autistic students, it says:
autistic students are 33% of "students supported by funded programs distributed by disability type 2017" in NSW (students with intellectual disability make up 40%).
"From 2013-17, enrolments of students with autism increased by ~14.5% per year" according to the Education Department's own data ... at this rate, the number of autistic students doubles every 5 years.
In July 2016, the Ombudsman’s office commenced a standing inquiry under section 11(1)(e) of the Community Services (Complaints, Reviews and Monitoring) Act 1993 to examine and respond to allegations of abuse and neglect of adults with disability in community settings, such as the family home.
Here is another report, this time from Queensland, describing some serious inadequacies of the NDIS with particular impact on autistic people ... though the report fails completely to mention autistic people. The report talks about people with impaired decision-making capacity; it mentions intellectual disability and brain injury, but does not mention autism spectrum disorder (ASD, which is the biggest distinct disability type in the NDIS).
Recommendations
The Public Trustee
We recommend that the Public Trustee of Queensland:
The difficulties for people with complex and challenging support needs to obtain adequate supports under the NDIS
The purpose of this report is to tell the stories of some of OPA’s clients who have complex and challenging support needs, and who are not seeing the benefits that the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is intended to deliver.
The human impact and harm experienced by clients when they receive inadequate supports under the NDIS is significant and the costs to them for this failure, and to all of us, have been enormous.
The Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS reported on NDIS Market Readiness.
Basically, the Committee found that the disability sector is not “market ready” and the NDIA needs to do much more to ensure that the NDIS achieves its goals.
Disability Discrimination Commissioner Alastair McEwin released a report today, A Future Without Violence: Quality, safeguarding and oversight to prevent and address violence against people with disability in institutional settings.
Commissioner McEwin said that violence against people with disability in institutional settings is a significant social policy issue in Australia.
