Page 3620 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 24 November 2021
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I am pleased to bring this motion before the Assembly today. Autism spectrum disorder is a persistent developmental disorder, characterised by symptoms evident from early childhood. These symptoms include difficulty in social interaction, restricted or repetitive patterns of behaviour and impaired communication skills.
According to the 2018 disability ageing and carers survey conducted by the ABS, there were more than 205,000 Australians with autism—1.3 per cent of all males and 0.4 per cent of all females. Whilst autism is a lifelong condition, the social, communication and sensory deficits that some experience may be remediated with the use of intervention therapies and structured support.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme provides tailored funding for personalised therapies and supports for anyone with autism who experiences reduced capacity in communication, social interaction, mobility, learning and/or self-care. For school-aged children, educational supports are also available.
Unsurprisingly, experts acknowledge that the earlier these therapies and supports can be put in place, the better. That is because the younger we are, the more adaptable our brains are. In the case of autism, it is believed that intensive therapy early on may encourage the young brain to reroute itself around the faulty neuropathways.
Early intervention can teach children with milder forms of autism how to relate better to others and potentially lessen their sense of alienation throughout life. Even the most severely affected children who may never develop the ability to speak can possibly learn alternative ways of communicating.
Research clearly shows that children who receive early intervention demonstrate improved cognitive developmental and adaptive functioning, enhanced language and social skills, as well as a decrease in symptom severity, cognitive impairment and behaviours compared to children who are treated later. In some cases, early interventions may even eliminate the need for autism-specific educational supports when a child starts school.
In contrast, undetected autism has been linked to poor mental health in adolescence, including depression, anxiety and even psychosis. In every case, however, access to intervention therapies and structured supports is dependent on first having received a professional diagnosis.
There are two pathways for accessing an autism assessment. Private assessments are available for families who can afford them. In the ACT this will cost approximately $2,000. If the child being assessed is aged 12 or younger, Medicare will pay about $340 of this. In addition, some private health insurance with specific kinds of extras may help cover the cost of a private assessment, making it even more affordable. Waiting times for a private assessment are typically shorter.
Families who are not in a position to access a private autism assessment may access a public one through the territory’s Child Development Service or CDS. There is no cost for this service but the wait can be long.
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