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Helping Children with Autism Package

ASDs (autism spectrum disorder) have specific characteristics that may present in a
variety of combinations and range along a continuum from mild to severe. Children with
ASDs may have deficits in behavioural, communication and social interaction skills. It is
estimated that 1 in 160 children have an ASD.

Under the early intervention component of the Helping Children with Autism package, all
children aged six and under who are diagnosed with and ASD and are not yet at school
will be eligible for a funding package of up to $12,000 ( up to $6,000 per financial year)
to assist with the financial cost of accessing early intervention services.

Families living in rural and remote areas may also be able to access an additional
$2,000 in recognition of the challenges they face in accessing services. This will prov
ide these families with options for accessing early intervention services, such as
accommodation and travel to and from support, as well as training, respite and
resources such as books and computers to access online information.
(omission)

Families will choose the early intervention service that best suits their child from a panel
of service providers currently being established by FaHCSIA. FaHCSIA will reimburse
panel members in arrears on behalf of families for services delivered.
The panel will be made up of providers delivering evidence based multidisciplinary
interventions. It is expected that the panel of service providers will be announced in late
September 2008 and families will be able to access the panel from October 2008.

* FaHCSIA : Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous


Affairs

Source held by RMIT


Violence Against Women With Disabilities

Although there has been very little research in Australia to date on the issue of violence
against women with disabilities, overseas studies have found that women with
disabilities, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or class are assaulted,
raped and abused at a rate of at least two times greater than non-disabled women.

Disabled survivors of domestic violence often have a difficult time escaping from their
assailants. They are often financially dependent on these individuals, and the physical
means of fleeing assault, such as accessible transportation, are often unavailable on
short notice. Even if a disabled woman does escape, very few women's shelters are
accessible. Facilities without ramps and lifts or attendant care are not an option for
women with disabilities. (For more detailed information relating to these areas, see the
report 'More Than Just A Ramp' enclosed with this paper).

A woman with quadriplegia, in such an instance, could expect to find herself referred to
a hospital or institution. In addition, disabled women with children who flee abusive
situations run the risk of losing custody of their children because authorities may
question their ability to care for them alone.

Behaviour or conduct of the perpetrator which may not seem threatening to an objective
observer can be extremely frightening to a woman with a disability who is in an abusive
relationship. Many women with disabilities are acutely aware of their own
powerlessness – they may be more likely to fear harm due to the impact of their
disability, particularly any physical, psychological or emotional dependency.

Source held by RMIT


Inequality and unemployment

It is what has been happening at the bottom of the income distribution that has far
greater implications for social security. As Australia follows US trends, wages and
working conditions are declining at the bottom of the distribution. This is leading
inevitably to a situation where the attractiveness of work relative to social security is
declining, making it more difficult to induce those on social security into the workforce.

The persistence of high unemployment is thus in part a direct consequence of the rise in
earnings inequality and job insecurity generally. Strategies that attempt to coerce the
unemployed and other jobless social security recipients back into work will fail unless
they also address the issues of low wages, job security and unemployment.

At the same time, the changing nature of risk has undermined the support role of social
security. One of the initial goals of the welfare state was to institutionalise the
management of risk so as to offer protection against hazards such as disability or job
loss that were seen as outside the control of individuals.

In reviewing some of the policy developments that are taking place in Australia and
elsewhere, it is important to emphasise that changes are required both in the social
security system and in the labour market. An important factor behind the difficulties
facing the social security system relates to what is happening in the labour market.
Without addressing these labour market issues, reform of the social security system will
achieve only limited success.

Source held by RMIT

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