Focus Area 6: Ongoing actions
Commitment 1: Improve the knowledge, understanding and acceptance of autism amongst health practitioners, medical staff and first responders.
Target
Provide Autism Awareness and Understanding training to healthcare professionals and first responders to effectively support Autistic people during emergency services.
Action
Deliver Autism Awareness and Understanding training to healthcare professionals.
Lead: Local Health Networks
Action
Continue updated delivery of Autism Awareness and Understanding training to first responders, and medical and health professionals across emergency services, including to SA Health, South Australian Ambulance Services and South Australian Police staff to better support Autistic people accessing health, mental health and emergency services.
Lead: Office for Autism (Department of the Premier and Cabinet)
Commitment 2: Improve the experiences of Autistic people of all ages navigating and engaging in health and mental health services.
Target
Ensure health and mental health services provide services and supports that are tailored to the individual.
Action
Provide sensory toolboxes to volunteers through the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation sensory toolbox project, allowing them to support sensory comfort for patients in a hospital setting.
Lead: Women’s and Children’s Health Network (WCHN)
Action
Review early intervention processes (Code Grey) to improve sensory comfort, reduce restrictive practices and reduce the need for Code Black.
Lead: Women’s and Children’s Health Network (WCHN)
Action
Review and update, where relevant, the strategies to provide proactive support for sensory needs and reduce distress in the Paediatric Emergency Department.
Lead: Women’s and Children’s Health Network (WCHN)
Action
Review and update, where relevant, information resources to ensure they are inclusive of Autistic people, including materials in languages other than English, translation services and Easy Read materials.
Lead: Department for Health and Wellbeing
Target
Consult with Autistic people and subject matter experts when developing and reviewing health and mental health supports, services, and facilities.
Action
Collaborate with Autistic people and people with lived experience of autism, where relevant, as consumer representatives in the planning, design, measurement, evaluation and improvement of health systems and services.
Lead: Local Health Networks
Action
Co-design, where relevant, with Autistic people and people with lived experience of autism, in the development and relocation of facilities, signage and wayfinding across hospital sites and services to ensure environments are inclusive for Autistic people.
Lead: Local Health Networks