Focus Area 4: Ongoing actions
Commitment 1: Develop a centralised state information system to support access and navigation of available supports and services.
Target
Ensure resources and information about supports and services are updated, easily accessible and autism inclusive.
Action
Deliver or review initiatives, platforms and systems to connect Autistic people with information in various accessible formats across Government of South Australia supports and services.
Lead: All state government agencies
Commitment 2: Improve the knowledge and understanding of autism amongst professional staff
Target
Provide Autism Awareness and Understanding training to front-line workers to effectively support Autistic people accessing services.
Action
Deliver Autism Awareness and Understanding training across public sector workforce and representatives from major private sector employers.
Lead: Office for Autism (Department of the Premier and Cabinet)
Action
Coordinate Autism Awareness and Understanding training for service providers funded by the Department of Human Services in order to support the delivery of inclusive services for Autistic people and the broader autism community.
Lead: Department of Human Services and Office for Autism (Department of the Premier and Cabinet)
Commitment 3: Work with organisations to ensure evidence and research on autism can be effectively and efficiently translated into practice.
Target
Collaborate with subject matter experts when developing and implementing supports and services for Autistic people.
Action
Collaborate with autism-specific organisations, where relevant, when developing and implementing policies, supports and services for Autistic people.
Lead: All state government agencies
Action
Provide subject matter expertise in consultation with state government agencies to ensure Department of Human Services-led Disability Access and Inclusion Plans are autism inclusive.
Lead: Office for Autism (Department of the Premier and Cabinet)
Target
Embed autism inclusion into programs, supports and services.
Action
Collaborate with Government of South Australia agencies to share ideas, strategies and projects that support best practices and culturally appropriate support services that support Autistic people.
Lead: Department of Human Services
Target
Collaborate with the Autistic and autism community throughout the planning, development and implementation phases to ensure services are neurodiversity-affirming and are effectively meeting the needs of Autistic people.
Action
Consult with reference groups and lived experience groups, where relevant, on autism-related matters to provide insights and guidance on identifying and addressing barriers to accessing services provided by the Government of South Australia.
Lead: All state government agencies
Commitment 4: Ensure neurodiversity-affirming and culturally appropriate services and supports are available.
Target
Improve existing services to ensure they are streamlined, effective and efficient to meet the individual needs of Autistic people.
Action
Review and update, where relevant, the customer service areas and experiences to ensure Autistic people feel supported when accessing services.
Lead: All state government agencies
Action
Ensure all new services, operational programs, and policies are reviewed with an autism inclusive lens to ensure services are neurodiversity-affirming and culturally appropriate.
Lead: Department of Human Services
Target
Ensure a wide range of neurodiversity-affirming and culturally appropriate services and supports are available, including to Autistic people who do not yet have an autism diagnosis.
Action
In the development of new strategies and initiatives, the State Autism Strategy and/or Autism Charter will be linked and referenced, where appropriate.
Lead: All state government agencies
Action
Provide inclusive, accessible and responsive support services to students engaged in higher education.
Lead: TAFE SA
Target
Improve data capturing strategies of diverse cohorts of people accessing state government services and supports.
Action
When consulting to inform the development of new strategies and initiatives, personal identifying data will be collected where appropriate, to capture and consider the specific perspectives of the Autistic community.
Lead: All state government agencies