MRS DUNNE
Also in relation to groups in the community which are particularly in need and where a little investment would particularly pay off over the long haul, there is our proposal for $1 million over four years to Autism Asperger ACT Inc. Here is a group that is crying out for assistance and for early intervention. All the literature, wherever you go in relation to autism and Aspergers, says that the earlier you diagnose the problem and the earlier you intervene, especially on a one-on-one basis, the better the outcome for the children will be.
If you only want to look at it in terms of economic rationale—and Mr Barr likes to claim that he is the only economic rationalist in this place—if you invest in children with Aspergers and autism early in their life, the cost of their education would be much less and the cost of maintaining them in the community over their life would be much less. It is the humane thing to do; it is the right thing to do; it is the economic thing to do.
Again, the Stanhope government—the Minister for Health, the minister for education, the minister for disability services—will not listen to the cries, the pleas for assistance, from Autism Asperger ACT Inc, which is a matter of considerable shame to this government.
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This is the current Autism Asperger ACT website. A previous website can be found at http://autism.anu.edu.au/.
