ActuallyAutistic, #AutismAcceptance and #AutisticAdults are all popular TikTok hashtags. But as much as TikTok can be liberating for people with autism, the conversation can’t stop there.
Many people with disability – who are at increased risk of illness and death from COVID – continue to isolate at home to avoid infection and are effectively shut out of society.
About two students in 30 will have developmental language disorder, making it as common as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and much more common than autism.
Prescriptions for ADHD medications have doubled in the last decade in Australia. Medication is the best treatment for ADHD, however non-medicated treatments are also helpful.
In determining eligibility, the NDIS should focus on who an individual is – their strengths, challenges and functional capacity – rather than what diagnosis they may have.
The original vision for the NDIS was that it would give people with disabilities a say in how services are delivered. The appointment of an NDIA chair who is disabled is a positive move.
At the time Australia needs it most, there is a crisis in the workforce of psychologists trained to assess and treat brain and mental health conditions.
If you think you have ADHD, getting a diagnosis can be a long, frustrating and often expensive process. But it can give you access to treatments and change how you see yourself.
We see a lot about the challenges and limitations associated with autism – but less about the real strengths autistic people bring to the workplace. Here’s how to make workplaces more autism-friendly.
Some NDIS participants worry if they don’t spend their annual funds, they won’t be offered the same supports in their next plan – and it’s harder for some to use what they’ve been allocated.
Appointing an assistant minister for autism signals the neurodevelopmental condition is a priority – but a focus on it shouldn’t come at the expense of other conditions.
Being stuck in hospital means NDIS participants lose the gains made in rehabilitation as well as condition, confidence and social connection. Specialist housing is ready and waiting.
Associate Professor, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living Research Centre and Occupational Therapy Department, School of Primary and Allied Healthcare, Monash University