Inclusive SA

Our shared vision for South Australia

The Autistic and autism communities have long been campaigning for change

The Government of South Australia has not only listened to these calls but is acting to make South Australia a world leader in autism inclusion.

Together we have reached another significant milestone for South Australia as we implement the State’s first Autism Strategy 2024–2029 (the Strategy) — a Strategy which supports a dedicated whole-of-government approach to create a fairer and more inclusive society.

South Australia has been dedicated to improving disability access and inclusion for some time and yet Autistic people and their families continue to face so many barriers in our community.

As a government, we have already begun to enact nation leading change and as a start, committed to:

  • appointing the world’s first Assistant Minister for Autism
  • investing $28.79 million over four years to fund access to an Autism Inclusion Teacher in every public primary school from the beginning of Term 1, 2023
  • an increase to the number of preschool staff with qualifications and training in autism
  • access to support services in children’s centres
  • investing $50 million to fund 100 additional speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists and counsellors in the public school system
  • establishing and investing over $4 million in the Office for Autism, led by an Autistic Director
  • creating an Autism Inclusion Charter which is being rolled out across the government
  • working with all South Australian universities that offer a teaching degree to update their courses to include more disability and inclusive studies
  • creating and releasing ‘Autism Works’ — a campaign shining a light on autism-inclusion in the workplace.

Building upon this work, the launch of this Strategy is another major step forward as we continue to realise our goal of becoming a truly accessible and inclusive South Australia.

Knowledge. Understanding. Belonging. These vital concepts are at the core of this Strategy.

This Strategy is our commitment to addressing the specific barriers experienced by the Autistic and autism communities and will align closely to work underway across Australia, and within our own state context, with the development and implementation of our second State Disability Inclusion Plan (the State Plan).

Change starts with respectful curiosity and challenging out-dated perceptions. It is time we move beyond just talking about creating autism awareness. It is time we build knowledge and create lasting, and long overdue, cultural change across our community.

We thank South Australia’s Autistic and autism communities for sharing your voices, your personal stories and your considered feedback to co-design the State’s first Autism Strategy — a Strategy that will provide our state with a roadmap to help guide and continue our journey to making South Australia the autism inclusive state.

Hon Peter Malinauskas MP, Premier for South Australia

Hon Nat Cook MP, Minister for Human Services

Hon Emily Bourke MLC, Assistant Minister for Autism

Why have a State Autism Strategy?

The Autistic and autism communities have long advocated for improved community knowledge, understanding, support, and acceptance for Autistic people.

Since the Disability Inclusion Act 2018 (SA) (the Act) came into operation on 1 July 2018, Government of South Australia agencies have made a coordinated and consistent effort to:

  • improve access to mainstream supports and services
  • consider the built environment and constraints to access for people with disability
  • improve community attitudes and disability inclusion
  • increase workforce participation of people with disability within the public sector
  • improve educational outcomes and experiences for young people with disability
  • consider pathways for people with disability from education to employment.

In response to the growing call for inclusion from the Autistic and autism communities, the Government of South Australia committed to the development and implementation of South Australia’s first Autism Strategy (the Strategy) and Autism Inclusion Charter (the Charter).

There must be no limit to the ambitions of South Australia’s Autistic people; they have the same fundamental human rights and opportunities as everyone else in our society.

Reports from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) show that autism remains the largest disability group in South Australia (on average 40%), with intellectual disability coming in second (on average 16%). South Australia also consistently sits above the national average for participants with autism as a primary diagnosis (on average 35%). (Source: National Disability Insurance Agency, National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Quarterly reports 2022–2023.)

There is a significant gap between the life outcomes experienced by Autistic people and the rest of the population. In addition, the gap between Autistic people and people with other disability(ies) continues to increase. With the rates of autism diagnosis increasing each year, the gap will only continue to grow unless meaningful change is created.

Data shows Autistic people do not enjoy the same levels of prosperity or outcomes in health, education, employment and community participation.

The Government of South Australia is committed to making autism inclusion a priority.

Genuine autism inclusion is more than just a recognition that autism exists. We must challenge perceptions, build knowledge, improve service delivery and recognise the valuable contribution the Autistic and autism communities make to our society.

This Strategy, led by the Department of Human Services, is the first of its kind to be delivered and implemented in South Australia. The Strategy sets out a 5-year roadmap for the Government of South Australia to help improve the lives of Autistic people of all ages and their families.

To achieve South Australia’s goal in being a world leader in autism inclusion, the Government of South Australia must set firm targets and be responsive to the needs of our Autistic and autism communities. It is incumbent on those who can effect positive change to do so and support the broader community along this journey.

What has informed the Strategy?

Meaningful cultural change and greater inclusion of the Autistic and autism communities in South Australia can only come about by consulting, listening, and creating open dialogue.

In one of the largest public consultations held in South Australia on disability-related matters, the Autistic and autism communities shared their experiences to support co-designing the Strategy, with over 1,200 submissions received throughout the consultation process.

During the 12-week consultation period, the Government of South Australia actively engaged with the State’s diverse community of Autistic people, families, carers, guardians, service providers, the disability sector, peak bodies, the public sector, and the broader community.

Consultation participants could provide their feedback through a variety of ways, including:

  • completing a public YourSAy survey
  • participating in public forums
  • posting or emailing a written, visual, video, or audio submission.

As echoed throughout the consultation process, feedback made it clear that Autistic voices must be central to the decision-making process on matters concerning them.

This is why the Government of South Australia will continue to collaborate, consult and engage with the Autistic and autism communities to ensure our commitments are responsive.

The State Autism Strategy Advisory Committee (the Committee) has played a central role in providing advice to government to support the development of the Strategy.

The Committee is made up of 13 members from the Autistic and autism communities with various backgrounds, experiences and insights. They have drawn on their lived experience, as well as the experiences of communities they are connected to, to raise issues of importance and create open dialogue on matters concerning the Autistic and autism communities in South Australia.


This site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Licence. © DHS .

Provided by:
Department of Human Services
URL:
https://inclusive.sa.gov.au/our-work/autismstrategy/sa-first-autism-strategy/our-shared-vision-for-south-australia
Last Updated:
26 Oct 2023
Printed on:
12 Nov 2024
The Inclusive SA website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence. © Copyright 2016