Pioneering Positive Change: Government Enhances Commitment to Autism Support
Sunsets Disability Support Services enthusiastically welcomes the recent announcement by the Australian government of its intensified commitment towards autism support. On the 17th May 2023, the government declared two new intervention pilots designed to aid infants aged nine to 14 months who display early signs of autism.
These pilots are set to receive a robust funding allocation of $22.1 million, which will potentially benefit up to 1,500 babies and their families. The plans for these initiatives focus on providing the best evidence-based interventions for infants showing early signs of neurodiversity. Notably, these interventions align with the principles of family-centred care, a philosophy that Sunsets Disability Support Services has long championed.
Scheduled to run until the 2026-27 financial year, these early intervention pilots have been developed in consultation with stakeholders from across the early childhood, disability, and health sectors, alongside families and local authorities. Their purpose is to address the prevalent issue of early developmental concerns not being detected in a timely manner, offering strengths-based and family-centred interventions.
Alongside this encouraging announcement, the first full in-person meeting of the National Autism Strategy Oversight Council took place in Canberra. The council consists of eight members from the autistic community and sector, alongside two members from the research and professional sectors. Their collective task is to ensure that the National Autism Strategy is based on evidence and shaped by the experiences of autistic individuals.
In Australia, approximately one in 70 individuals have been diagnosed with autism. The quest for enhancing life outcomes in areas such as education, vocation, health, and family functioning for autistic individuals and those with other neurodevelopmental conditions is a cause that resonates deeply with us at Sunsets Disability Support Services.
The government has responded to this need by allocating $4.9 million in the 2023-24 Federal Budget to support the consultation phase of the development of the National Autism Strategy. Sunsets Disability Support Services wholeheartedly applauds this move.
Minister Rishworth stated that the National Autism Strategy aims to improve outcomes for all autistic Australians across vital reform areas including healthcare, education, and employment. At Sunsets Disability Support Services, we echo this sentiment and strongly advocate for an approach to policy development that incorporates the perspectives of individuals with lived experience of autism, as well as experts and researchers.
We eagerly anticipate the positive changes these new initiatives are set to bring.
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