A new nation-leading Autism Advisory Group – comprising health professionals, key government agencies and practitioners with lived experience – is meeting for the first time today, in a milestone step to improving the lives of Autistic South Australians.
Headed by newly appointed Minister for Autism Emily Bourke – whose portfolio has been elevated to Cabinet for the first time – the South Australian Autism Assessment and Diagnosis Advisory Group will provide advice to help address barriers to autism assessment and diagnosis and identify opportunities for reform.
Established in the response to the state's inaugural Autism Strategy and Charter, the Advisory Group includes 12 members and leaders in their respective fields from:
- Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
- Royal Australasian College of Physicians
- Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
- Speech Pathology Australia
- Occupational Therapy Board of Australia
- Australian Psychological Society
- Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia
- Australian Medical Association
.These independent experts are supported by the Office for Autism and other State Government Departments, coming together to consider current government frameworks, the National Guidelines for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism and post-assessment and diagnosis support for South Australians.
Members will meet regularly throughout the year, including next month, to help build knowledge and work with services across the state.
The group reinforces South Australia's standing as the Autism Inclusive State, which has seen a new initiative developed to provide up to 100 eligible school students access to autism assessments at no cost to their families as well as a $28.8 million investment to introduce Autism Inclusion Teachers in public primary schools.
As put by Emily Bourke
It's a real privilege to be appointed the state's first Autism Minister and I am determined to keep delivering on the progress we've made in this area.
We're leading the country in these efforts and it's pleasing to see the Federal Government release their own National Autism Strategy leveraging the work done here in South Australia.
Bringing together the right people, hearing and learning from them in the one space, will help our state's new Autism Advisory Group address the barriers that families face.
The goal is clear – this is a conversation that needs to happen, and action starts today.
Background
Autism is a neurological developmental difference that impacts the way an Autistic person sees, experiences, understands and responds to the world.
Every person's lived experience of autism is different.
More than 200,000 Australians are Autistic. 1 in 4 Australians has an autistic family member. Autism is the largest primary disability group in the NDIS, and South Australia consistently sits above the national average, with around 41% of South Australian NDIS participants being Autistic.
