POLICY & CONSULTATION
An important role for Autism Victoria is to advocate on behalf of people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, their families and carers, and the agencies that provide specialist Autism Spectrum Disorder services. We advocate for change to service and funding models and programmes, government regulation and legislation.
This is called systemic advocacy. It involves a number of processes, including development of policies, preparation of submissions and consultation with stakeholders.
Some key examples of systemic advocacy are our pirorities document to the Victorian State Government in the lead up to the Nov 2006 state election, submission for the review of the Victorian Disability Legislation (August 2003), and subsequent response to the Exposure Draft of the Disability Bill (February 2006), and our comments on the Department of Education Better Services Better Outcomes Discussion Paper (January 2002). These documents have been posted to our website and can be downloaded.
Early Childhood Autism Services
There is currently, a great deal of discussion nationally and internationally about how may hours of 'treatment/services' per week constitutes an effective service for young children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Autism Victoria contributes at both state and national level to discussions groups and working parties which are seeking to extend the current low intensity of services available.
We support the recommendations made in the Roberts/Prior 2006 document Early Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Guidelines for Best Practice. This review of 'The research to identify the most effective models of practice in early intervention of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders' was commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
Extract from page 3 of this review - Number of hours of treatment per week
To be successful EI needs to be extensive and intensive. A minimum of 20 hours a week over two or more years is esstential for young children to make major gains.
Parliamentary Inquiry into Better Support for Carers
A Federal Parliamentary Inquiry is looking into Support for Carers of people with chronic illness, disability or frailty. The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Family, Community, Housing and Youth is conducting the inquiry and is calling for written submissions until 4th July 2008. Public hearings will also be conducted across the country. For further details go to the House of Representatives Committee website.
Autism Victoria will be making submissions along with a range of community and carer organisation. Individuals can also make a submission. For further details about the inquiry and how to make a submission click here.
In May 2006 Autism Victoria contracted Meredith Ward to the provide Government Liaison and Public Relations support to the association. This resulted in Autism Victoria being invited to partner with the Department of Human Services, Strategic Projects Branch, to develop an Autism Spectrum Disorder State Plan.
The development of the Autism State Plan in partnership with the Victorian State Government will have the most significant impact on policy development today and in to the future. Meredith Ward's role is now focused on the state plan development as Manager - Autism State Plan.
The Autism State Plan was announced by the Victorian State Government in the 2006 election policy Addressing disadvantage that stated the government will develop an Autism State Plan in partnership with Autism Victoria, to build new and better approaches across government for meeting the growing and complex needs of people with autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
Click here for further details about the Autism State Plan.
You can also visit the Autism State Plan website.
Another part of our role is to support and assist parent action groups. How to have a say has some suggestions for lobbying government and working with the media. If you wish to contact Meredith Ward, Manager - Autism State Plan contractor, please use the Have a Say form or email Meredith directly.
Consulting with our members is also very important, and we would like to thank the many members who responded to the 2006 Autism Victoria Member Survey. A report of the survey findings is in the attached pdf document.