On the eve of Autism Awareness Month the Federal Government has announced $6 million in funding for Autism CRC to improve health services, education and employment opportunities for Australians on the autism spectrum.
Minister for Families and Social Services, Anne Ruston said the investment would develop supports for mainstream health providers in the assessment and diagnosis of autism, in addition to improving pathways for people with autism from schooling to employment.
“The government is funding two major projects that will benefit up to 200,000 Australians, their families and carers,” the minister said.
To be funded over two years, the National Best-Practice Assessment and Diagnosis project will develop resources to provide support for mainstream health providers involved in the assessment and diagnosis of autism. The Success in Learning: Transition to Earning project is intended to assist education and employment sectors to improve transition from school to further study and/or work.
The projects build on other work by Autism CRC. In December 2020, the organisation launched the National Implementation Toolkit, a set of resources to promote the National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Australia.