Today I am very pleased to announce that the Australian Government will provide $190 million in funding over five years to assist children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), their parents and carers.
There are major gaps in the provision of services for children with ASD. We know that the more we help these children early in their lives the easier it will be for them to attend school and to participate in every day life.
Under this initiative, the government will provide:
* new Medicare funded services to diagnose ASD and provide specific follow-up services;
* early intervention services for approximately 15,000 families of children aged 0 to 6 diagnosed with ASD;
* training and support so that parents and carers are better equipped to assist their young children;
* workshops and information sessions for parents and carers with school-aged children with ASD; and
* professional development for 450 teachers and other school staff each year.
New Medicare funded services
Diagnosis represents a critical point for children with ASD and their families. Prompt and accurate diagnosis means that children can gain most benefit from treatment and support in their critical early years. From 1 July 2008, new Medicare items for diagnosis and early intervention treatment by clinicians and allied health professionals will be introduced ($20 million over five years).
These will include:
* new specialist Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items for paediatricians and child psychiatrists for diagnosis and the development of treatment plans for children aged up to 12 years;
* new items for developmental psychologists and speech pathologists to assist with aspects of the assessment; and
* access to Medicare items for the provision of early intervention treatment following diagnosis for children with ASD, providing up to 20 services per child. The new services will be provided by relevant allied health professionals including speech pathologists and occupational therapists.
Early Intervention Services
* Access to early intervention services is vital for children with ASD because it substantially improves the chance for these children to transition to mainstream schools.
New funding of $116 million over five years will be provided to ensure greater access to a range of early intervention services. This will provide:
* up to 200 new autism specific playgroups across Australia, providing access for more than 8,000 children with autism by 2012;
* access for up to 4,000 eligible children, who require more intense activities than can be offered through playgroup, to one on one and tailored group programmes for two years; and
* for 1,200 children who are the most severely affected, individual assistance of up to $20,000 for eligible families over two years to contribute to intensive early intervention services.
Many parents and carers have difficulty finding and accessing the services that could most benefit their child. From 1 July 2008, the Commonwealth will be funding 20 new childhood autism advisors across Australia over the next five years. Children who are diagnosed with ASD can be referred to these advisors who will be able to assist parents and carers to find the best services available to meet the particular needs of their child.
Prior to the appointment of the childhood autism advisors, existing autism stakeholder groups will be provided with funding to build their capacity to provide support to families.
Training and support for parents and carers of young children with ASD
Parents and carers of children with ASD often need support to assist them with the demands of raising their child. To assist parents and carers of children aged 0 to 6 with moderate to severe ASD, we will provide $30 million over five years to fund:
*
education, training and support programmes for parents and carers to assist them to undertake early intervention activities at home and to provide them with the strategies to help them better cope with the pressures they face; and
* the development of a website to provide support for parents, carers and professionals in their caring role.
Professional development for teachers
Teachers and other school staff need support to address the special learning needs of students with ASD. In order to build the confidence and skills of teachers and school staff in assisting students with ASD, we will be providing:
* $16 million over five years for professional development for an estimated 1,800 teachers and other supporting staff to assist students with ASD to achieve better educational outcomes.
Workshops and information sessions for parents and carers of school-aged children with ASD
To assist parents, carers and teachers of school-aged children we will also be providing:
* $7 million over five years for one-day workshops and information sessions in city and rural locations to parents and carers of school-aged children with ASD. Online workshops will also be provided to families and carers in remote locations.
The government will be consulting autism support groups and relevant professionals, including health professionals, during the implementation of these initiatives and a new advisory body will be established to assist with implementation.
The Australian Government is determined to ensure these programmes are delivered effectively so that children with autism are given the best possible start in life.
Factsheets
* Support for school students with autism spectrum disorders - professional development for teachers - www.dest.gov.au
* Support for school students with autism spectrum disorders - parent workshops and information sessions - www.dest.gov.au
* New Medicare items for diagnosis and early intervention treatment for children with autism spectrum disorders - RTF 107KB | PDF 31KB
* Increased access to early intervention programmes for children with autism spectrum disorders - RTF 114KB | PDF 33KB
* Education and support for families and carers of children aged 0 to 6 with autism spectrum disorders - RTF 97 | PDF 30KB