Work starts on two new major projects
We’re excited to begin work on two new major projects to help improve health services and education and employment outcomes for autistic Australians. Both projects build upon and deepen the impact of some major assets successfully delivered under the CRC Program:
- Project 1: National Best-Practice Assessment and Diagnosis
- Project 2: Success in Learning; Transition to Earning
Project 1: National Best-Practice Assessment and Diagnosis
This project is focused on ensuring rapid and effective implementation of a nationally consistent, best-practice approach to assessing an individual’s goals, strengths, health needs and functional challenges, in line with the Autism CRC-developed National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism in Australia.
The project will help to build the capacity of professionals engaged in comprehensive health and functional assessments to do so in a manner consistent with the Guideline, nationally. Autism CRC has already begun work with key clinical representative bodies to embed the Guideline’s practice recommendations within the respective competency frameworks, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programs and other relevant training programs. This includes working with and through the Department of Social Services’ Expert Reference Group, formed to drive national implementation of the assessment and diagnosis guideline.
Protocols to integrate individual assessment data in support systems are also being developed for other sectors, such as health and justice, to ensure more equitable access.
Project 2: Success in Learning; Transition to Earning
Low levels of inclusive education capacity along with inadequate planning and support for successful transition from school contribute to massive disparities in opportunity and outcomes for people on the autism spectrum.
Project 2 will help to address these issues by working with key stakeholders to deepen effective, inclusive practice within and across the education and employment sectors. Project 2 will expand the content, reach and uptake of two Autism CRC online platforms:
- inclusionED professional learning platform for teachers (visit inclusionED)
- myWAY Employability career planning for young people and their supporters (visit myWAY Employability)
Most importantly, the project will connect these online platforms, and bring together other related outputs from our Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) Program, to create an individual journey passport that supports successful transitions from school to further education and training, and/or employment.
Autism CRC will be working closely with many parties to deliver these projects, including numerous organisations already within our CRC network, using the national stakeholder collaborative project model that has underpinned our CRC Program work. New relationships are also being established to ensure all project objectives are delivered over the next 18 months.
The projects have been made possible by an Australian Government grant under the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) program. The two projects target defined areas of need consistent with the Department of Social Services’ ILC Program, particularly its Mainstream Capacity Building objectives.