NEWS
Click on the links below to skip to the news items of interest:
Autism Victoria Board Nominations
Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Forum
Autism Victoria Consultant List
Comic's Lounge Tickets in aid of Autism Victoria's Kokoda Trekkers
Autism Victoria's Response to Draft NDIS Report
Autism Victoria's Directory of Services Update
Autism Victoria launches their Facebook and Twitter Pages
Launch of Diagnostic and Assessment Guidelines for Victoria
Autism Victoria's Annual General Meeting
- Results of Autism Victoria's Board of Governance Election
Asia Pacific Autism Conference (APAC) 2011
Professional Development provided by Autism Victoria
National Position Paper on Autism Spectrum Disorders
Autism Victoria Board Nominations
With the AGM fast approaching (23 November), nominations are now open for the three board positions that are becoming vacant this year. A mailing giving full details of the nomination process is being forwarded to all current members of the organisation either by email or by post in the next few days. You can also download the relevant forms below:
Click here for Covering Letter
Click here for Board Selection Criteria
Click here for Nomination Form
Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Forum
The 10th annual ASD research forum will be held on Thursday 3rd November at Darebin Arts Centre, Preston. The Autism Victoria Research Reference Group is pleased to announce our keynote speaker, Professor Katrina Williams, who will deliver her keynote address on Autism research: Where are we now and where do we need to be?
The meeting provides an excellent opportunity to hear about Autism Spectrum Disorder research currently being undertaken by Victorian research teams, including that undertaken by undergraduate and postgraduate students.
THE CALL FOR PAPERS IS NOW OPEN. Submissions close on Friday 16th September 2011.
Click here to access the Call for Papers
Click here to download the 2010 Research Forum Proceedings
Autism Victoria Consultant List
Over the past three years Autism Victoria has experienced exceptional growth both in organisational size and also in the services and supports we are now offering to the broad community of Victoria and more importantly the ASD community.
The Board of Governance recognises that although it is a skills based board it is not possible to include all skills areas in a nine member Board and for this reason they believe it would be of real value for the organisation to access the broadest range of knowledge and skills possible to add value to the outcomes we are aiming to achieve.
In response the Board is keen to develop a list of “consultants” to Autism Victoria, who would be able to provide additional or specialist advice and guidance on a range of issues that from time to time the Board and staff consider beyond their level of expertise. It is not intended that the consultant roles will demand major time or other commitments.
The “consultants” may be experts in a range of fields and some examples include legal, housing, finance, governance, evidence-based interventions, research or media/marketing.
For example the Board may seek advice from a “consultant” on a legal matter, or if planning to relocate the office, commercial property advice or perhaps advice regarding new treatments being promoted to families. In essence the request for advice would be in those areas in which the Board and staff do not feel they have the requisite knowledge and skills to make the most informed decision.
The Board therefore are extending an invitation to supporters of Autism Victoria to nominate as consultants. Please complete the consultant form here to apply.
Autism Victoria thanks our supporters in anticipation.
Comic's Lounge Tickets in aid of Autism Victoria's Kokoda Trekkers
Support the Kokoda trekkers by buying tickets to see the following comedy shows at the Comic's Lounge. Tickets are available through Autism Victoria, and you can download the flyers and registration forms below.
Thursday 7th July: Jeff Green (UK), Danny McGinlay & Guests
Thursday 21st July: Charlie Pickering, Cameron Knight & Ben Lomas
Federal Budget Announcements
The Federal Budget summary announcement includes:
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additional $29 Mil. to fund increases in demand on the Helping Children With Autism program
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measures to increase the workforce participation of Disability Support Pension (DSP) recipients
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no projected increase to DES fee levels
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indexation for Australian Disability Enterprises
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a substantial funding package for mental health
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$200 million to support the education of children with disability
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tax changes that will affect some not-for-profit organisations
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a Commonwealth funding increase to the States and Territories for disability services of $156 million
Autism Spectrum Disorders funding
The Budget also includes additional funding to meet increased demand for the Helping Children with Autism package; and provides funding for the Better Start for Children with Disabilities initiative promised at the 2010 Federal Election.
Workforce Participation
Government has announced an increase in the number of hours a Disability Support Pension (DSP) recipient can work before affecting their eligibility for DSP. At the same time new requirements are expected of DSP recipients under 35 years of age with an assessed work capacity of eight or more hours a week. These DSP recipients will be required to attend Centrelink interviews quarterly for the first 18 months and then twice yearly. DSP claimants will be required to provide evidence that they have tested their work capacity by participating in training or work-related activities.
The Budget also proposes a number of measures to assist employers offer employment to DSP recipients including:
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wage subsidies of $3,000 will support the employment of about 1,000 job seekers registered with a DES who have been unemployed for 12 months or more;
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employers will get $2,000 to assist with training and supervising a worker employed under the Supported Wage System (as long as they are employed for 26 weeks at 15 hours a week or more);
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information and training will be targeted at employers and industry groups to improve their knowledge of programs such as DES and to build their confidence to employ people with disability
Not-for-Profit Reforms
The Budget announces several changes relating to not-for-profit organisations:
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an end to tax concessions of some unrelated commercial entities. Commercial activities that further the altruistic purpose of a not-for-profit entity (as well as small-scale unrelated commercial entities) won't be affected.
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the establishment of an Australian Charities and NFP Commission to develop guidelines for the not-for-profit sector, and assess the charitable status of entities.
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legislation to define a charity for all Commonwealth laws and all State/Territory laws if States and Territories agree. The definition would be subject to consultation with the sector and based on the 2001 report of the Inquiry into the Definition of Charities and Related Organisations.
The current statutory FBT multiple rates for car travel will be replaced with a single rate of 20% that applies regardless of the distance travelled. We shall provide members with further analysis of the impact of this measure.
National Mental Health Reform
The Budget details the expenditure of $2.2 billion over five years on mental health initiatives, $1.5 billion of which are new initiatives. They include expanding access to allied psychological services; the establishment of a National Mental Health Commission; more community mental health services; and coordinated care and flexible funding for people with 'severe and persistent mental illness'.
Children
As reported previously, the Government will provide $200 million over two years to increase the support for students with disability.
National Disability Agreement
Commonwealth funding to the States and Territories will increase significantly from $1.052 billion in 2010-11 to $1.208 billion in 2011-12.
The Budget includes adjustments in payments to the States and Territories to ensure that the changes in roles and responsibilities for community care (HACC) under the National Health Reform agreement are budget neutral.
Autism Victoria's Response to Draft NDIS Report
Autism Victoria has submitted a response to the draft report for the proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme.
To view Autism Victoria's response, click here
For more information on the proposed NDIS, click here
Autism Victoria's Directory of Services Update
Autism Victoria's Directory of Services has been substantially updated over the past few months, and we are continuing to update and add to it.
Our Directory of Services is one of the few central information sources in Victoria that families, individuals and professionals can utilise to discover or share ASD services, ranging from ASD-specific counsellors and therapists to hairdressers or naturopaths who have experience with children with an ASD. More than half the calls to Autism Victoria’s Infoline each week are to access the Directory of Services.
The Directory of Services is available to all businesses and organisations in Victoria with an awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders who are able to provide understanding and appropriate service to those people with an ASD and their families. If you are a service provider with an awareness of ASDs and are not already on our Directory of Services, please fill out a Directory of Services Application Form.
Facebook and Twitter Pages
In an exciting development, Autism Victoria has now entered the 21st century with Facebook and Twitter pages! Please follow us to show your support and to remain updated on the latest happenings and achievements at Autism Victoria and for the ASD community.
You can join us at:
www.facebook.com/autismvictoria
www.twitter.com/autismvictoria
Launch of Autism Diagnosis and Assessment Guidelines for Victoria
On Wednesday the 24th of November, Autism Victoria held the launch of “The Diagnostic Process for Children, Adolescents and Adults Referred for Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders”.
Prof. Bruce Tonge welcomed the guests to the launch and introduced Prof. Margot Prior as the key speaker and member of the working group that developed the guidelines being launched this day.
Prof. Margot Prior spoke to the audience of approximately 60 guests and shared the journey of the working party, sharing with all the considerable time and complexities faced during the development of the guidelines. Prof. Prior also acknowledged the immense contribution by the Western Australian Autism Diagnostician’s forum and hoped that the new guidelines may lead to the adoption of National guidelines in the near future.
To download a copy of the guidelines, click here.
Autism Victoria's Annual General Meeting
Autism Victoria held the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday the 24th of November at Villa Maria.
Approximately 45 members attended and heard about a number of initiatives coming to fruition this year.
The Deputy Chairperson Michele Carson launched Amaze Accreditation, a service that will assess and accredit services and individuals based on Autism specific standards, and also launched Amaze Knowledge, a Registered Training Organisation that will provide a range of training and professional development courses on Autism Spectrum Disorders.
The AGM also saw the launch of “Picture My World” a communication tool for Adults which has been actively supported by The Ross Trust. The tool has been designed to meet a gap in meeting the communication needs of adults with limited or no communication skills. It will be under production by the end of the 2010 calendar year and will be distributed to all Day services as the first phase of the project.
The Annual Report was also presented by the Chair Professor Bruce Tonge, Financial Report by the Treasurer, Mr Graeme Wickenden and the operational report by the CEO, Murray Dawson Smith.
Download a copy of the Annual Report here
Results of the Board of Governance election
In line with the Rules of Association, Autism Victoria declared three positions on the board vacant and subject to re-election and a fourth position vacant and subject to election due to the resignation of an existing Board member for personal reasons. As a result Autism Victoria was aiming to fill four vacancies.
We received 10 nominations for the Board positions including three current Board members seeking re-election.
The quality of all candidates was exceptional and the voting results quite close. Autism Victoria is pleased to advise the following results (in no particular order) of the election are:
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Michele Carson (Current Board Member)
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Graeme Wickenden (Current Board Member)
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Catherine Jeffrey
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Craig Shallard
On behalf of all members we wish the successful candidates all the success and look forward to working with you in the future.
I also wish to thanks all other candidates for their willingness to participate and be part of Autism Victoria.
Asia Pacific Autism Conference (APAC) 2011
The Asia Pacific Autism Conference (APAC) will be held in September 2011 in Perth, Western Australia. At this event, a wide range of national and international speakers will come together and exchange ideas on current scientific findings and best practice in the field of Autism Spectrum Disorders. APAC is one of the most important international conferences on Autism Spectrum Disorders in the southern hemisphere, and consistently attracts leaders from the region and beyond, as well as families and carers.
If you register before the 27th May 2011, you can take advantage of the Early Bird registration fees.
Professional and other registration - $1050.00
This price includes all conference sessions (lunch and tea provided), gala dinner ticket, welcome reception ticket, program handbook and delegate bag.
Concession registration - $595.00
This price includes all conference sessions (lunch and tea provided), welcome reception ticket, program handbook and delegate bag.
For more information and to register, go to www.apac11.org
Professional Development provided by Autism Victoria
Autism Victoria offers a variety of Professional Development programs and information sessions for families and professionals. For more information on the programs that are currently available, please click here.
Autism Victoria's Strategic Plan
Please click here for an overview of Autism Victoria's Strategic Plan for 2010 - 2011
National Position Paper on Autism Spectrum Disorders in Australia
The Australian Advisory Board on Autism Spectrum Disorders (AAB ASD) will be launching a Position Paper on “ Education and Autism Spectrum Disorders in Australia”.
The National Launch of the Position Paper will be officially presented by Mr Jon Martin (Chairperson AAB ASD), Dr Trevor Clarke (Director Education and Research, Autism Spectrum Australia) and Meredith Ward (Parent &President, Autistic Family Support Association Victoria) onThursday 29th April, 12:00noon at the Leonda by the Yarra, Hawthorn, Vic
The AAB ASD paper calls for the provision of appropriate educational services for school-age students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Australia. The complete paper presents in detail 8 key principles aimed at achieving an increase in appropriately allocated resources, collaboration between key stake holder groups and improving the capacity of the educational services and service providers.
Jon Martin stated: “Across Australia, the development of appropriate educational services is a critical priority. Demographic data tells us that most people with an ASD diagnosis in Australia are of school age – and this number is growing. ASD prevalence more than doubles every 5 years. As such, there is a significant increase in the number of students diagnosed with ASD that will require specialised support. Currently, there are high rates on suspensions, exclusions and part time schooling that impacts on ensuring the best opportunities and educational outcomes for students with an ASD”
The position paper release is appropriately timed at the conclusion of Autism Awareness Month. Across Australia fund raising events and educational activities will be conducted as part of Autism Awareness Month.
A full copy of the position paper is available here.
