Australia’s first National Autism Strategy: What you need to know.
A seven-year plan to improve the lives of autistic Australians has been announced by the federal government. This marks the first time our country has introduced a National Autism Strategy. This strategy aims to create “a safe and inclusive society where all autistic people are supported and empowered to thrive”. It’s a big promise but also a major step towards meaningful change for a group that’s often undervalued or misunderstood. A note on language. After seeking input from our community, at Leap in! we’ve chosen to use ‘identity-first’ language when referring to autism and autistic people. We know there are different opinions on this, and we acknowledge and respect people’s individual preferences and right to choose how their identity is described. Why do we need a National Autism Strategy? By official estimates, around 290,000 Australians have an autism diagnosis. However, many experts believe that number could be much higher. Data consistently shows autistic people lag behind the general population in many life domains, such as employment, education and health. Key stats. Autistic adults are six times more likely to be unemployed than people without disability Only 5% of autistic people hold a bachelor’s degree or higher qualification, compared with 35% of
