00:00Well, significant because it is Australia's first national autism strategy.
00:07It puts us in line with other countries that already have a similar strategy like the UK,
00:11US and Canada.
00:13And today, the government has put forward $42.3 million towards this plan.
00:20It'll roll out over seven years.
00:23And some of the money includes funding for things like a dedicated body to be set up
00:28to turn autism focused research into evidence based kind of tools and guidance.
00:36Also money for better communication and information to support people and their families pre and
00:41post diagnosis, better screening, also more sensory and quiet spaces in particular places,
00:47for example, shopping centres, where autistic people may become overwhelmed or find them
00:52difficult spaces to navigate.
00:56And also a significant amount of money to really assess and evaluate what programs are
01:02in existence at the moment, and how well they are working and and what can be improved.
01:08So there's a lot there.
01:10The Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth has thanked everyone for their participation.
01:16This was a huge undertaking from of course, led by the autistic community in a group of
01:22people, but also many people who put forward their submissions after a draft was released
01:28last year.
01:29Let's have a listen to what Amanda Rishworth had to say.
01:32These are not actions government have come up with.
01:35These are actions that autistic people themselves have said would make a difference.
01:41And that's what's so powerful about this strategy.
01:43I think the significance can be seen in what a few people have told me this morning about
01:48the fact that this is the first strategy and to have a strategy at all is significant because
01:53it recognises that autistic people have unique support requirements, and that they are operating
02:00in a world that is inherently not built for them.
02:03And this is an opportunity to really turn around some of the poorer outcomes that autistic
02:07people face here in Australia.
02:09This aim of the whole strategy is really to increase knowledge and awareness and acceptance
02:14and understanding of autism and how autistic people, you know, what their needs are.
02:22And particularly around some of those poorer outcomes, you know, autistic people are six
02:27times more likely to be unemployed than non-disabled people in the population.
02:31They're also overrepresented in the justice system.
02:33So advocates really looking for change and really pinning their hopes on this strategy,
02:40not being left on the shelf.
02:42They want to see some of these critical spending or this critical spending actually be, you
02:48know, fulfilled and for it to bring about some meaningful change.
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