Autism Asperger ACT is delighted to announce that we are running two very informative workshops in Canberra this year with speakers from the US:-

3^rd May – June & Jerry Groden           

17^th August – Carol Gray

Registration form available now for The Groden workshop ' Stress, anxiety and ASD'.

The ACT Government has released the Shaddock Report.
You can download it from http://www.det.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/105341/Review_of_S...

You may be interested in the ACT Government Standing Committee Inquiry report release 10 years ago ... see http://www.parliament.act.gov.au/downloads/reports/E03studentswithadisab...

A new report has recommended more resources be directed to teaching students with disabilities in Canberra.

The number of students with disabilities grew by nearly 12 per cent over the past three years with more choosing to attend mainstream schools.

The report's author Tony Shaddock says schools need more support to cater for disabled students.

"Therapy in schools is a particular issue," he said.

"Provision of therapy is absolutely essential for some students and we're not doing well in that regard.

Autism Asperger ACT, the autism spectrum disorders (ASD) peak body in the ACT, disputes the ACT Government’s funding claims.

Monique Blakemore, the mother in the ABC’s Stateline program (4/12), said she is moving to England for the sake of her sons with ASD. She said governments here “haven't … kept up with the demand for services” and “they haven't increased funding, they've decreased funding, they've decreased services whilst the autism rates have been increasing”. She says funds decrease in real terms as Therapy ACT has not backfilled vacant positions.

The ABC's Stateline program in Canberra "has won a national award for a recent report. Sadly there have been no rewards for the family featured in that story although the Government rejects assertions that funding for autism has been reduced."

more? ... see http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2009/12/04/2762759.htm

In October 2007, the Australian Government allocated $190 million for its Helping Children with Autism (HCWA) package. The funding is implemented by three Government Departments.