Services, support and life outcomes for autistic Australians

March 2022

© Commonwealth of Australia 2022
ISBN: 978-1-76093-383-8

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Executive Summary

  Life outcomes for autistic Australians are unacceptably poor. This comes at an enormous personal, social and economic cost.
  Meaningful systemic changes would have an enormous impact, with instances of good practice demonstrating how this can be achieved.
  The drivers of poor outcomes for autistic people are complex and interrelated.
  Generic disability strategies have proven ineffective at improving life outcomes for autistic people.
  A National Autism Strategy should form the centrepiece of efforts to improve outcomes for autistic Australians
  The National Autism Strategy should be person and family-centred, address whole-of-life needs for all autistic people, and include targeted actions to support vulnerable cohorts.
  The National Autism Strategy should be co-designed by the autism community
  Accountability will be critical to delivering genuine change
  Key priorities for the National Autism Strategy should be guided by the recommendations of this inquiry
  The effectiveness of the National Disability Insurance Scheme for autistic Australians should be the focus of a separate inquiry

Recommendations

Chapter 1—Introduction

  Conduct of the inquiry
  Acknowledgements and references
  Structure of the report
  Language used in the report

Chapter 2—Background

  What is autism spectrum disorder?
  How is autism diagnosed?
  Prevalence of autism in Australia
  Diversity of the autism spectrum

Chapter 3—Life outcomes for autistic people

  Overview
  Health outcomes
  Education outcomes
  Employment outcomes
  Housing outcomes
  Justice outcomes
  Social inclusion

Chapter 4—The cost of failing to provide adequate services and support

  Overview
  The economic cost
  The cost to families and carers
  Key life transitions

Chapter 5—A National Autism Strategy

  Stakeholder support for a National Autism Strategy
  Why a National Autism Strategy?
  Principles to guide development of a National Autism Strategy
  Potential development mechanisms
  Committee view

Chapter 6—The adequacy of available services and supports

  Support for autistic Australians
  Concerns raised by stakeholders
  Common barriers to the provision of adequate services and supports
  Support for social inclusion within the community
  Committee view

Chapter 7—Services and supports for specialist groups

  Autistic adults
  Autistic women and girls
  Disadvantaged and vulnerable cohorts
  Families and carers of autistic people
  Committee view

Chapter 8—Research and data collection

  Overview
  Existing research gaps
  A National Autism Register
  A National Autism Research Framework
  Committee view

Chapter 9—Advocacy

  Overview
  Demand and funding for advocacy services
  Autism-specific advocacy services
  The breadth of the autism spectrum
  Committee view

Chapter 10—Diagnosis

  Overview
  The importance of early diagnosis
  Challenges to obtaining a consistent, timely and best-practice diagnosis
  Committee view

Chapter 11—Early intervention and support

  Early intervention and support services
  Importance of early intervention
  Post-diagnosis support
  Barriers to effective early intervention
  Committee view

Chapter 12—Education

  Overview
  School education
  Higher education
  Transition from education to work
  Committee view

Chapter 13—Employment

  Overview
  Recruitment processes
  Adjustments and supports in the workplace
  Autism understanding and workplace discrimination
  Specialised employment services, targeted programs and incentives
  Committee view

Chapter 14—Health and mental health

  Overview
  Challenges in accessing health care
  Restrictive practices
  Maternal health care
  Mental health
  Committee view

Chapter 15—Housing

  Overview
  Support required to live independently
  Availability of affordable and appropriate housing stock
  Accessing to social housing and the private rental market
  Committee view

Chapter 16—Justice

  Overrepresentation of autistic people in the justice system
  Contributing factors
  Transitions out of detention settings
  Committee view

Australian Greens Senators' dissenting report

  Flawed conceptual basis
  Case Study: Inclusive education
  Key issues in the report's outline for the construction and role of a National Autism Strategy

Appendix 1—Public hearings and witnesses

Appendix 2—Submissions and additional information

Appendix 3—Additional supporting material

  Appendix 3.A — DSM-5 Autistic Diagnostic Criteria
  Appendix 3.B —
  Appendix 3.C —
  Appendix 3.D — National funding and initiatives supporting autism research
  Appendix 3.E — Summary of progress on recommendations from the ECEI Implementation Reset

Committee Secretariat contact:

Department of the Senate
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: 02 6277 3555
Fax: 02 6277 3899
seniorclerk.committees.sen@aph.gov.au