CoMHWA Advocacy Impacts – National Autism Strategy (2025-2031)

This month, the Australian Government released their National Autism Strategy 2025-2031 after extensive consultations.  In 2023, CoMHWA was invited to provide feedback to inform the draft strategy, which was released in 2024.  We then provided further comment on the draft strategy to inform this final document (CoMHWA’s full submission about the draft strategy can be found here).

CoMHWA’s feedback about gaps and potential improvements to the draft Strategy were summarised as follows:

1. Recognise and accommodate different cultural needs in diagnosis, services and supports.
2. Create more avenues for holding services and people to account for discrimination against and breaches of human rights for Autistic people.
3. Provide education and training about Autism for the broader community, including those working in customer service and public spaces/events.
4. Improve access to supports such as the Disability Support Pension for Autistic people.
5. Make NDIS application process and supports more accessible for Autistic people.
6. Standardise and improve access to accommodations for Autistic people at university or TAFE/other tertiary education, as a crucial stepping stone to employment.

CoMHWA is pleased to note that all of the key points raised above were addressed in some fashion in the final Strategy.  For example, the draft has been improved upon by explicitly discussing the additional challenges that culturally diverse groups face in relation to misdiagnosis, as well as the extra barriers they face receiving culturally appropriate services and supports.  Alongside the explanation of the intersectional challenges faced by culturally diverse people, the Strategy now includes references to ‘priority cohorts’ in commitment 11 of Diagnosis, Services and Supports.  

We note that the strategy also partially addresses the problem of rights breaches and discrimination summarised in CoMHWA’s 2nd recommendation, with the Strategy having reworded commitment 1d to specifically promote education for Autistic people about their rights.  While this falls short of outlining specific pathways to hold services accountable for rights breaches, this education is an important first step in ensuring equitable treatment for Autistic people by raising awareness around this issue.

CoMHWA’s recommendation for programs educating the broader community and service workers about autism to help address stigma and resulting barriers to access faced by autistic people was in part addressed: The Strategy has broadened those who should receive education about Autism diversity to include ‘Services’ as well as workplaces, in point 1a of the ‘Social Inclusion’ commitments.

The difficulty Autistic people can face when trying to access support both through the NDIS and outside of the scheme (such as through the Disability Support Pension) has also been reflected in changes to the Strategy. For example, Commitment 19 now addresses the 4th and 5th recommendations put forward by CoMHWA: Instead of simply aiming towards better integration of NDIS support and other services, it now references improving the experience of NDIS access for Autistic people, as well as improving access to ‘disability supports outside the NDIS’.   These changes reflect the concerns our members shared about ensuring that Autistic people are supported when applying for supports such as the NDIS and DSP.

CoMHWA was also pleased to note that our 6th recommendation about accommodating Autistic people in education has been reflected in changes to commitment 10 of the Strategy, which now specifies accommodation and communication needs in education settings specifically.

While these changes have emerged from the collective hard work and advocacy of a huge range of people and organisations, it can be important to recognise when efforts towards change make a clear and discernible impact.  CoMHWA would like to extend our thanks to the many members who gave their valuable time and expertise to help inform our submissions, and offer our appreciation for the genuine responsiveness shown by the Department of Social Services in their development of this important Strategy.  We are hopeful that the forthcoming implementation of the National Autism Strategy 2021-2031 will make important changes that can meaningfully improve the lives of Autistic people living in Australia.