Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise in support of the concept and the issue behind the motion on autism spectrum disorder, although I have some disagreement with aspects of the detail that the member for Flinders is seeking to achieve as a result of this motion and I will come to those points. The general point about the need to ensure that there is greater awareness and support for action within the community for those who suffer from ASD and those who support them and who deal with those issues is something that I think the parliament can agree on, no question. I know a lot of work has been done, as the member for Flinders said, by governments of both persuasions over the years to try and ensure that this area gets more support.

I know that the current government, of which I am very proud to be a member, has had a range of initiatives over the last few years, since 2008, under the Helping Children with Autism package. The government has provided over $220 million for services for children with ASD. That has covered a range of different issues: early intervention funding available to eligible children to increase and support access to early intervention therapies; Early Days workshops; information for parents and carers of pre-school and school aged children with ASD; an autism advisory service providing advice, information and support following diagnosis across Australia; PlayConnect playgroups—some 150 playgroups specifically for families and children with ASD or ASD-like symptoms; a website; and other positive initiatives via recognition under Medicare. More recently, as I understand it, the government has also established six autism-specific early learning and care centres which provide specific early learning programs and support to children with ASD or ASD-like symptoms in a long day care centre. But we can always look to the future and ensure that more is done.

One general point I would make is about something this government has been very strong on—and I certainly congratulate the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers, the Hon. Jan McLucas, for the work she has done on this—and that is the development of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, to which $1 billion was allocated in the last budget. It is a step along a track, it is a track which will take some time and there are clearly a range of issues which need to be worked through. But there is no doubt that there is broad recognition within the community that a more holistic approach is needed in dealing with the needs of those with a disability, and a recognition that it is a responsibility of all levels of governments and that its time has come. It is something that we can all support.

I will pick up on a couple of points that the member for Flinders had in his motion which I think need to be debated to a degree. Regarding the issue of diagnosis of ASD being on the rise, my understanding from the current evidence base, which the government has from its Helping Children with Autism package, would appear to suggest a prevalence rate in the order of one to 110 for children under seven. This rate has levelled off over the past three years, as it has done internationally. That does not in any way take away from the importance of the issue, but it does possibly suggest that we are getting a fairly sound understanding of the size of the problem and therefore the need for action.

On the question of a national ASD plan and the holding of a forum, again we could debate the question of what we currently have and what the alternatives may be. The point I would make with respect to this is that we need to look at disabilities on an individual basis. The needs of people with disabilities should be focused on their functionality, not on the label. I think we need to look also at the question of what is coming, what is occurring from a national perspective through the NDIS, as a way forward to ensure that there is scope for all children and all people with disabilities to get the assistance that they need as part of a much bigger set of actions by government across the board.

I also note that there are a number of peak bodies that represent people with ASD. They include the Australian Advisory Board on Autism Spectrum Disorders, which provides advice to government; Autism Awareness, which promotes nationally inclusion for people with ASD; and Children with Disability Australia, which represents children with ASD. The question mark I have is whether another forum will in itself produce results which are worthy of that effort. But certainly this is a motion where the concerns around autism should be made known nationally and action should be supported by all sides of the parliament.

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