Good morning.
It's so great to be with you all today to launch Australia's first National Autism Strategy.
I'd like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we meet, the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, and pay my respects to elders past and present.
I extend that acknowledgement to all First Nations people here with us today.
I'm pleased to be joined by:
- Clare Gibellini, Co-Chair of the National Autism Strategy Oversight Council;
- Jane Spring, Chair of Australia's Disability Strategy Advisory Council;
- Kate Chaney MP, the Local member here in Curtin; and
- Carrie Clark, Chief Executive Officer of Kiind here in Perth who has generously co-hosted this morning's event.
I would also like acknowledge other members of the Oversight Council and working groups, and all Autistic people and members of the autism community joining us today.
It's great to be starting the year by launching our Commonwealth National Autism Strategy - a strategy that I know has been long anticipated and called for by the Autistic community.
This is the first Australian Government strategy specifically dedicated to improving inclusion, support and life outcomes for Autistic people across Australia. Along with, of course, building community understanding and knowledge of the actions we can all take to ensure our world is inclusive of the Autistic community.
We've been working on this Strategy now for over two years. And through its development we heard repeatedly that Autistic people often 'mask' who they are while living in a neurotypical world.
That sometimes, what may seem for neurotypical people to be a relatively uneventful trip to a shopping centre or a pub can actually be immensely distressing for Autistic people because not all of those spaces and places have been designed to suit their needs or the right supports are not available.
That having peer support and connecting with someone like you to give advice and share tips and ideas can make an immense difference to a Autistic persons day-to-day experience.
That Autistic people's experiences engaging with mainstream systems and the quality of services they receive - like going to the GP - can be improved by a greater understanding among key professionals of the diversity of Autism and different communication styles.
Or how neurotypical recruitment processes can sometimes disadvantage Autistic people, due to the skills they might preference which may not be essential to the job.
It's why in developing the National Autism Strategy over the past two and a half years, we have worked in true partnership with Autistic Australians.
We worked with and for Autistic people on this journey.
We heard you when you told us of the many barriers Autistic people face in their day-to-day lives.
This includes - but of course is not limited to - barriers to receiving a good education, barriers to employment and barriers to navigating systems that are only suited for neurotypical people.
This Strategy lays the foundations to break down these barriers and create a more inclusive society.
Today simply would not have been possible without the very significant input of Autistic people and the autism community, including families, carers, support networks and representative organisations.
The National Autism Strategy Oversight Council, with majority Autistic members, guided and co-developed this Strategy.
This was of course supported by working groups which included members of the Autistic community, autism sector, research community, and government officials.
Thousands of Autistic people, and their families and carers, fed into our public consultations on the initial concepts for the Strategy and then the draft Strategy last year.
They have ensured we have a Strategy that reflects the diverse needs, challenges and experiences of Autistic people - which we know vary-and require multiple different approaches to improve the lives of all Autistic people in Australia.
From these consultations, we heard that in order to improve the lives of Autistic people, we needed to promote greater inclusion and acceptance and ensure there are spaces and places to respond the needs of Autistic people.
For others with high-support needs we need to ensure they are supported to participate in their communities and have their voices heard and experiences understood. This includes ensuring they continue to receive the right supports through the NDIS and other mainstream systems and empowering them and their families to have ongoing representation as we implement the Strategy.
I give my heartfelt thanks to Clare, the entire Oversight Council, working groups and everyone who participated in the development of the Strategy.
The work you have done will not only inform the implementation of the Strategy, but also importantly will continue to be shared across the board to improve the lives of Autistic people.
What we heard from Autistic people about what matters most to them has been used to shape the 22 commitments we have made and the key outcomes we want to achieve through the Strategy.
The National Autism Strategy echoes Australia's Disability Strategy and its vision for a more inclusive Australia.
The Strategy provides a clear pathway for better health and employment outcomes; increased representation; better information and support through identification, assessment and diagnosis processes; improved wellbeing; and more coordinated Australian Government service delivery.
The Strategy also takes an approach that recognises that the Autistic experience is different for everyone.
Autistic people have different ways of experiencing life, different hurdles, different capacity and support needs and different communication methods - some of which may vary for a single person in different situations or times.
The Strategy recognises this and is designed to support all Autistic Australians in all stages of life.
It recognises that every Autistic person has unique strengths, abilities and experiences, and the Strategy fosters the freedom of Autistic people to have choice in their lives.
Along with the Strategy, we are today launching the First Action Plan, which outlines the immediate, practical steps the Government will take to achieve the Strategy's vision and outcomes.
These immediate actions, with funding committed, will create tangible improvements in priority areas like employment, social connection, better support through the diagnosis journey and community understanding.
Not feeling accepted or understood was something we heard repeatedly through our consultations on the Strategy and that's why one of our largest investments in the First Action Plan is in peer support.
Having someone walk alongside you as a peer and share your journey, and exchange advice can make all the difference - ensuring an Autistic person feel doesn't feel alone.
Peer support is unique in that it can provide an opportunity for people facing similar challenges to get together and support each other to navigate and overcome barriers and find solutions - something that more formal systems might not be able to offer.
For example, if you're a young person with Autism struggling with bulling at school or the transition to adulthood, talking with someone who is going through the same challenges or has recently gone through this - can be extremely powerful.
We also know many employers are missing out on the skills and benefits people with Autism bring to the workplace.
The First Action Plan will fund projects to lead to better autism-specific training and resources for Autistic people, to give them more opportunities to find meaningful employment and greater choice and control over their careers, but also for employers and employment providers, to help support Autistic people into the workplace and improve inclusion and acceptance.
This work will link in with our new Disability Employment Centre of Excellence, which will be established this year.
This is not only good for Autistic people who want to work, but good for employers who might be missing out on the benefits Autistic employees can bring to their organisations.
Through the Action Plan, we also want to bridge the gap between what research says can support the inclusion of Autistic people, and how organisations actually implement that research, to ultimately increase the inclusion and participation of Autistic people.
This includes things like translating research into training packages, toolkits and best practice guidelines so that educators are equipped with the knowledge and skills to best support children in their care to thrive.
Or guidance for businesses, organisation, governments and communities to make adjustments that enable greater inclusion of Autistic people - like changes to lighting and sound in shopping centres, schools, or hospitals; the addition of quiet spaces and sensory rooms in public spaces; or different signage, like the sunflower initiative.
We're also developing resources to support people through autism assessment and diagnosis and beyond.
We know that everyone's journey to diagnosis is different.
But a common theme that came through the consultations on the Strategy was the lack of resources to support people, before and after their diagnosis.
That finding an appropriate service - from making a booking, presenting for the diagnosis, and then what to do afterwards, can be frustratingly unclear for Autistic people and their families.
Through this Action Plan we will develop resources to support Autistic people's access to affordable and quality diagnosis, and ensure these resources are in formats that are accessible for Autistic people - such as through video, visual information, Easy Read, and in languages other than English.
To ensure our future actions will create real and meaningful change, we will also be working in partnership with the autism community to fully understand what is currently working, where there are gaps and what has been shown to be best practice to lay the foundations for future reform - which is particularly important in the changing disability landscape in Australia.
As a priority, we are establishing governance, evidence and evaluation frameworks that embed Autistic leadership to ensure Autistic people and the autism community have a central role in the implementation and monitoring of progress.
The Strategy and First Action Plan set a solid path forward to a more inclusive Australia, where Autistic people are supported and empowered to flourish in all aspects of life.
I am excited to see what we can achieve together over the months and years ahead.
Thank you again to everyone who dedicated their time, efforts and stories to help create a Strategy that is truly made for and by Autistic people.
Thank you for joining me here today to launch the National Autism Strategy.
