The government wants feedback on its draft autism health roadmap.

The Australian Government has unveiled a draft of the National Roadmap to Improve the Health and Mental Health of Autistic People, seeking public input on the proposed strategy. 

The roadmap aims to address critical health disparities faced by autistic people across Australia and to enhance both general and autism-specialised healthcare services over the next decade.

The draft roadmap is the result of a national co-design process led by Autism CRC, involving extensive consultation with stakeholders from the autistic community, including health advisors, advocacy groups, and representatives from Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia (A4), AMAZE, and the Australian Autism Alliance. 

The government says this collaborative approach reflects the guiding principle of ensuring partnership and inclusion, particularly by involving autistic individuals, their families, and carers in decisions that directly affect them.

Central to the roadmap are six guiding principles designed to shape the future of healthcare for autistic people. 

These principles emphasise the importance of individualised care, recognising mental health as integral to overall health, ensuring universal accessibility to services, upholding human rights and autonomy, and prioritising the specific needs of autistic people across all health services.

The roadmap is structured around six key focus areas, each targeting a specific aspect of healthcare improvement:

  1. Improving support for autistic people, their families, and carers in health and mental health services. This area of focus emphasises the need for tailored approaches that meet the unique needs of each person and their circumstances.

  2. Improving the quality, safety, and availability of autism-affirming health and mental health care across the lifespan. This area seeks to ensure that autistic individuals have access to safe, high-quality, and affirming care throughout their lives. It includes actions to develop and implement best practices in autism care, with a focus on improving outcomes across different stages of life.

  3. Building better connections between health, mental health, and other service sectors, including the NDIS. This focus area aims to strengthen the coordination and integration of services to create a seamless experience for those accessing multiple services.

  4. Improving autism education and training for health and disability professionals, addressing the need for specialised training and education for professionals working with autistic people. It aims to equip healthcare providers with the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver effective, sensitive, and autism-affirming care.

  5. Strengthening research and data on the health and mental health of autistic people and their families and carers. This area of focus calls for increased investment in research and data collection to better understand the health needs of autistic people and to track progress over time.

  6. Arrangements for oversight, monitoring, and implementation of the autism health roadmap. This area outlines the mechanisms for tracking the implementation of the roadmap, assessing its impact, and making necessary adjustments along the way.

The government says it has a vision for a healthcare system that is responsive to the diverse needs of autistic people, promoting their health and well-being throughout their lives. The roadmap also aligns with broader national strategies, such as Australia’s Disability Strategy (ADS 2021–2031), which will undergo review in 2031 to consider the progress and future directions of the roadmap.

Public consultation on the draft roadmap is open until 27 September 2024. 

The government has provided several avenues for feedback, including a full survey that delves into the technical details of the roadmap, a shorter survey for those less familiar with policy language, and an Easy Read survey designed for those who prefer simpler language and visual aids. Interested parties can also email their feedback directly.