Earlier this week, the federal government unveiled a seven-year plan to improve the lives of autistic Australians.
The National Autism Strategy, Australia’s first of its kind, is structured around key areas that aim to create a safe and inclusive society where all autistic people are supported and empowered to thrive.
Read the complete resource here
The strategy aims to bring about meaningful change for Australians, who lag behind the rest of the population in many areas of life.
Why has this strategy been made?
- Lack of Coordinated Support: Previously, there was no national framework to guide the support for autistic people, leading to fragmented services and inconsistent support across different states and territories
- Increasing Prevalence and Awareness: With an increase in autism diagnoses and heightened public awareness, there’s a recognised need for tailored strategies to meet the growing and diverse needs of the autistic community.
- Discrimination and Social Inclusion: There has been a push for better societal inclusion and to combat discrimination against autistic individuals, which the strategy aims to address through policy and community education.
- Economic and Life Outcomes: Studies have shown that autistic Australians have poorer life outcomes in areas like employment, education, and health, necessitating a dedicated strategy to improve these metrics.
- Community Advocacy: Autistic individuals, their families, and advocacy groups have long called for a coherent national approach to autism.
- International Precedents: Following the UK’s National Autism Strategy, Australia aimed to implement similar comprehensive national guidelines to serve its autistic population better.
What’s in the strategy?
Overall, there are ’22 commitments’ outlined in the strategy. They have been grouped into five main areas. Below are the commitments:
Social Inclusion:
Economic Inclusion:
Diagnosis, Services, and Support:
Health:
General Commitments:
DEI within the Strategy:
While the strategy is aimed at all Autistic Australians, the Government has outlined key priority cohorts:
- First Nations People
- Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and culturally and racially marginalised (CARM) people
- Women and girls and gender diverse people
- LGBTQIA+ people
- Older people
- Children and young people
- People with very high support needs
What funds have been committed?
The government’s substantial pledge of $42.3 million to implement the first phase of the strategy is a promising sign of its commitment to this cause. This financial support is a significant step towards realising the strategy’s goals.
- $19.9 million over four years for a peer support program providing “lived-experience knowledge, empathy and culturally-tailored advice for autistic people in groups they resonate with.”
- $12.2 million over five years for a body to translate autism-related research into evidence-based tools and guidance for service providers and policymakers
- $3.7 million over two years to evaluate existing programs for improving the lives of autistic people
- $2.8 million over four years for an epidemiological study to find the true prevalence of autism in Australia
- $915,000 over two years for new community awareness and education initiatives
- $445,000 for 2025-26 for new pre- and post-diagnosis resources
What has this strategy got right?
Co-design & Support
A core component of the strategy involves working with the autism community, including individuals with autism, families, and advocates, to co-design services and policies. This ensures that the approach is grounded in lived experience. The strategy also recognises the importance of supporting families and caregivers, ensuring they have access to the information and resources they need to assist autistic individuals.
Lifelong Support
For the first time, there is recognition that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder exist beyond childhood. The strategy outlines the need for tailored support for education across all stages of life. While this is a good first step, it will be interesting to see whether this will lead to a reduction in school exclusions and improved outcomes after formal education.
Healthcare Initiatives
The need to reduce wait times and enhance the training of healthcare professionals is a key priority of this strategy. However, it is important to recognise the challenges of implementing these initiatives while the Australian Healthcare system is already facing considerable pressure.
Employment Outcomes
Addressing the employment gap is the most ambitious aspect of this strategy. In the absence of mandates or mechanisms for accountability, it is unlikely that many employers will prioritise such initiatives. Without substantive enforcement, this could end up being a pre-election talking point, rather than an implemented strategy. More on the election below.
Where does the strategy fall short?
No Legislative Backbone
In contrast to the UK’s recent Autism Act, this strategy lacks a formal legal framework that ensures accountability. While it expresses a strong desire to implement various initiatives, it does not include binding requirements for action. Without enforceability, it may be more accurately viewed as a proposal rather than an obligatory mandate.
Where’s the money?
As stated above, the government has pledged over $42 million for the first phase of the strategy. Ensuring that funding aligns with ambitious goals can be a challenge. History has shown us that even the most promising ideas can face obstacles due to budget constraints and shifting political priorities.
The Actual Details
The strategy presents several compelling ideas, yet it lacks specificity. Further updates need to clarify how we intend to measure outcomes and to consider the potential implications if our targets are not met. Establishing a clear plan will be more effective than deferring discussions to a later date (ie: after the election).
Leaving it up to the states
Allowing individual states and territories to implement the strategy in their own ways will absolutely lead to disparities in support based on location. It is important to ensure that equity is maintained regardless of where individuals reside, and leaving it up to the states to implement the strategy raises concerns about achieving that goal.
Timing: The upcoming election
One must remember that this strategy was a pre-election promise. We must understand the timing of this has come out right before an election is called. No action will be taken by the government on this strategy between now and election day. One must wonder how (or even, if) the strategy will be implemented or changed if the Liberal Party win the 2025 election, which currently seems likely.
Summary
Overall, this strategy is a good step in the right direction from the Government. It’s good to see that there is now a proper written strategy in place, and that the government has allocated funds to it. However, there is no legislative backbone to this, and lacks implementation strategies for individuals. As 2025 unfolds, it will be interesting to see how this strategy is implemented, and how the upcoming election changes its outcomes.
Resources
Read the full National Autism Strategy here
Read more of our blog articles here
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