Page 1646 - Week 05 - Thursday, 7 April 2005
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(6) threatening and severe impact issues can be attended to. During times of acute shortages consultation, training and information is provided to those caring or involved with clients. There is also a shortage of staff with specialised training and skills in the area of autism. Staff of Therapy ACT have received inservices and workshop training, attended autism conferences and undertaken training in the autism assessment procedures that are considered best practice. Professional development for all staff is ongoing.
(7) Services to students with autism have increased over the last five years. The increase has been in:
• Diagnostic assessments – 144 since Therapy ACT started the service;
• Development of the Autism Assessment and Family Support team 2005;
• Assessment and intervention as require;
• Support and input to children with autism in mainstream classes;
• Input to teachers in the increased number of education units for children with autism - Communication and Social Awareness Group (children under 3 years), Autism Intervention Units (3-5 year olds) and Learning Support Units-Autism Specific (Primary school age);
• Disability ACT provides funding of $32,000 for the Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) Program for four students with autism who attend the Woden School. This involved the contracting of 'Autism Partnership' from Victoria to provide specialist training and supervison for the Woden School staff who worked in the ABA classroom. This program is also being funded for 2005 and is currently being evaluated by 'PSI Consulting' through a joint funding arrangement between DHCS and the Department of Education and Training. The evaluation is to be completed by the end of April 2005; and
• Intervention and family support.
Health—asbestos
(Question No 293)
Mr Pratt asked the Minister for Industrial Relations, upon notice, on 10 March 2005:
(1) Further to a briefing held on Tuesday, 8 March at the Reid Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) to inform industry of the requirements of the new asbestos legislation to be introduced from 16 January 2006 and at which a number of questions were raised but not adequately answered, is a new asbestos report required, at a forecast cost to the owner of approximately $600 for each renovation, repair, sale etc of a property;
(2) At what level of minor property renovation, maintenance or repair undertaken, for example minor plumbing repairs, removal and/or installation of inbuilt household electrical equipment etc, is a report not required;
(3) If there is no minimum level, why not;
(4) How long will the asbestos report be valid and is it considered to be along the same lines as a building report in that respect; if not, why not;
(5) Can the asbestos report be done as part of a building report; if not, why not;
(6) Is it possible to register a one-off asbestos report to be updated after any renovation, maintenance, repair work, or sale of the property; if not, why not;
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