Chris Hayes (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

All of us with kids know how difficult and challenging it can be to raise children—the love and attention they need and the help they need to realise their full potential. However, families with children who suffer the autism spectrum disorders face many more complicated and worrying days than the rest of us. Few people really understand the challenge that parents face in that regard. Many of my local constituents who are parents of kids with autism have told me that existing services do not seem to cater for their kids’ special needs. Children with autism deserve the same start in life as everybody else, and when it comes to autism we are really talking of the need for early detection and early intervention. That is most important. The government understands this very well and is committed to offering support through six autism specific childcare centres and, in particular, the helping children with autism package. I accept that, as you say, this is a drop in the ocean, but it is a very clear start.

Parents know that mainstream childcare environments can be overstimulating for kids with autism. That makes it difficult for them to develop new skills. Kids with autism are better supported by services which take an autism specific approach to their development. These specialised childcare centres and early intervention services can also provide parents with much needed support and respite. These centres work very closely with the health services to help improve the consistency of autism diagnosis and, essentially, to assist parents with the necessary support. This initiative is most welcome by the 125,000 families affected by autism, particularly those families that the member for Fowler and I represent throughout the south-west of Sydney.

Tragically, the south-west of Sydney has a great percentage of people who suffer from autism. We are clearly overrepresented with people who suffer from autism. In fact, FaHCSIA’s statistics, which I looked at only yesterday, show that 50 per cent of people with autism in New South Wales actually live in the south-west of Sydney. The long-suffering families in the south-west of Sydney deserve the right to have access to appropriate services and professional support. This government’s commitment goes a long way to making sure that they do. Every time I speak to local families affected by autism, quite frankly it reinforces for me the need there is for support for these families and their children. These are people like Grace Fava, the founder of the autism advisory service, who has two little kids. One is Pasquale, aged six, and the other is Gianni, aged four. Both have been diagnosed with autism. Julie Dahmen, from Cecil Hills, has an 11-year-old child, Corey, who I have met on a number of occasions. They know only too well the special needs their kids have. We know that we have to do much in relation to developmental needs, occupational therapy and speech therapy, all of which need to happen early in order to help these kids.

One of my own staff, Vicki Meadows, has an 18-year-old daughter named Melissa. Melissa is autistic, with severe developmental delay. Melissa has never acquired speech and has limited life and communication skills. As a result, Vicki has a very close and wonderful working relationship with many of our local services and understands firsthand the many problems faced by families living with autism. She fulfils a fantastic role for me in that regard. I very much appreciate the compassion that she shows in her work with the families in my area.

Research and experience have shown that the earlier the diagnosis of kids with autism and the earlier their enrolment in early intervention programs, the better the outcomes. Early diagnosis and intervention are also essential to ensure families like Grace’s and Julie’s have access to appropriate services and professional support. I congratulate the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin, and the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services, Bill Shorten, for being acutely aware of the needs in the south-west of Sydney and I am delighted that this important matter is progressing positively. South-west Sydney has very clear needs in respect of the treatment of autism— (Time expired)

See this speech in context