Page 1665 - Week 06 - Thursday, 7 June 2007

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .

funded programs providing the recommended amounts of intervention (http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/182_07_040405/wra10330_fm.html);

(2) How many children in the ACT receive early intervention of the type that experts advise is essential for young children with autism spectrum disorders;

(3) What service providers in the ACT deliver intensive autism-specific early intervention for at least 20 hours per week over an extended period of at least two years for young children with autism spectrum disorders;

(4) What does it cost the family with a child diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder to provide early intervention of the type experts advise is essential for young children with autism spectrum disorders;

(5) How many families, in the ACT, with a young child diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder can afford to pay for the treatment that experts advise their child would require.

Ms Gallagher: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

(1) Yes. Early intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders: Guidelines for best practice refers on page 3 also to individual variation, “no one child with autism will have the same pattern of strengths and needs as another” and “no one program will suit all children with autism and their families”.

(2) Information is only available on the provision of Government Services. January 2007 internal working information indicates that 16% of Therapy ACT clients have a diagnosis equivalent of Autism Spectrum Disorder. At that time Therapy ACT had 2153 individual clients.

(3) The number of hours per week provided is dependent on the individual needs of the client.

(4) ACT Government services do not charge for services and private practitioner rates will differ.

(5) ACT Government provides services for families free of charge. Family income and expenditure is not collected for this purpose.

University Admissions Index
(Question No 1572)

Dr Foskey asked the Minister for Education and Training, upon notice, on 2 May 2007:

(1) In relation to complaints about the ACT’s University Admissions Index (UAI) system and the relationship between members of the Board of Senior Secondary Studies (BSSS) and the contractor employed to conduct an inquiry into the awarding of UAIs, who approved Professor Rob Hyndman as the independent expert to conduct the review of the ACT’s UAI system in 2006;

(2) Did BSSS Chairman, Tim Brown, recommend Professor Hyndman for this position;

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .