The WA State government released the report of the inquiry into support for autistic children and young people in WA schools, A different kind of brilliance.
Led by the Legislative Assembly’s Education and Health Standing Committee, chaired by Member for Thornlie Mr Chris Tallentire MLA, the inquiry considered:
- The prevalence of autism in WA
- Current support available in WA schools
- Strategies in other jurisdictions that respond to the needs of autistic students
The inquiry sought the views of a wide range of people including parents and others with lived experience, researchers, and professionals including educators and therapy providers.
Kiind CEO Carrie Clark and Systemic Advocacy Lead Renée Darbyshir provided evidence to the Parliamentary Committee during the inquiry and spoke about the experiences of autistic students and their families as they navigated education and advocated for their strengths and needs.
Kiind commends the use of strengths-based language throughout the report and applauds the recognition of the importance of parent/student involvement and neurodiversity-affirming approaches in delivering evidence-based interventions in our education system.
The findings and recommendations in A different kind of brilliance align with several recommendations in Kiind’s 2024-2025 State Budget Submission including the need for greater school resourcing, changing conceptions of disability inclusion in schools and communities, and the importance of co-designing systems with children and families.
We are especially enthusiastic about the following recommendations from the report of the inquiry:
Recommendation 3: That the Minister for Education ensure that all relevant legislative and policy frameworks align with the Autism CRC’s National Guideline for supporting the learning, participation and wellbeing of autistic children and their families in Australia.
Recommendation 4: That the Minister for Education supports the development of a cross-sector WA neurodiversity education strategy, led, and co-designed by autistic and neurodiverse people, that focuses on improving learning and wellbeing outcomes for autistic and neurodivergent students at school.
Recommendation 15: That the Minister for Education ensures that the Department of Education develops further ways to promote the benefits of inclusion and encourage school communities to celebrate diversity.
Recommendation 23: That the Premier supports the development of a whole-of-government neurodiversity strategy, led and co-designed by autistic and neurodiverse people, that focuses on improving life outcomes for autistic and neurodivergent Western Australians.
We look forward to the Premier and the Minister for Education’s response to the 23 recommendations in the report. The release of the report of the inquiry into support for autistic children and young people in WA schools, alongside the finding and recommendations of the NDIS Review (2023) and the Disability Royal Commission (also in 2023) heralds a once-in-a-generation period of reform for children with disability in WA, and their families.
We believe the voices of students with disability and their families are paramount in designing more equitable, safe, and supportive schools that promote student learning and wellbeing.
Kiind and its members would welcome the opportunity to partner with the State government, community, and educators to bring about positive change for students with disability.
Kiind will meet with the Minister for Education in April 2024 to discuss these synergies and offer our lived experience expertise.
Kiind commits to continual engagement with our members in consultation, co-design, and collective advocacy to ensure the voices of families are being heard.
If you would like to be involved, please get in touch with us.
