AFSA - Connecting Families

Tim Fischer signs off after final spell at Holy See

AN AUDIENCE with the Pope has wrapped up Tim Fischer’s posting as Australia’s first Rome-based ambassador to the Vatican and ended one of the most remarkable careers in Australian public life. 

The former army conscript and farmer was not the first politician to lead his party nor the first to reach the lofty post of deputy prime minister, but he was certainly the first to do so with an autistic disorder. (This article first appeared in The Australian)

Link to article: http://clericalwhispers.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/tim-fischer-signs-off-after-final-spell.html

Proposed site for future autism school in the west

Wednesday, 14 December 2011

Education Minister Martin Dixon today announced Laverton P-12 College as the preferred site to establish a P-12 school for students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Mr Dixon said the proposed stand-alone school would be located alongside the Laverton P-12 College and less than one kilometre from the Western Autistic P-3 school. More

As you may know, the responsibility for developing the Government’s response to SARC’s report has moved to the Premier’s office.  We understand that a decision will be made in the next few weeks on the future of the Victorian Charter. 

Given that you have already undertaken the hard work of writing a submission to SARC, hopefully preparing a very short letter (even one or two paragraphs is fine) shouldn’t take too much time!  It’s also particularly important that you do so given that we understand a concerted letter writing campaign is being undertaken by the Charter naysayers.

As I’m sure you are aware, SARC’s report was recently tabled in the Victorian Parliament.  However, very disappointingly, the report failed to reflect the overwhelming evidence contained in the vast number of submissions that were made by organisations and individuals, including your own submission.  In particular, SARC’s report fails to acknowledge that:

• there is very strong community support for the Charter ‑ of the 3,842 submissions that were made to the review, over 95% of submissions support or called for the strengthening of the Charter;
• there is strong evidence that the Charter is delivering benefits to Victorians, including:
  • enhanced consideration of human rights in the development of laws and policies;
  • improvements in public service design, delivery and outcomes;
  • remedies for a range of individual and systemic injustices; and
• predicted adverse consequences of the Charter have been proven unfounded and incorrect.

If the Victorian Government were to adopt the recommendations made by SARC, Victoria would become the first state in the developed democratic world to substantially weaken the legal protection of human rights.

It is therefore vital that interested organisations and individuals remind the Premier and his Government that there is strong community support for the Charter. 

If you’d like any assistance to prepare a short letter or have any questions, please feel free to contact me.  Further information about what you can do is also available at http://www.hrlc.org.au/content/strengthen-the-victorian-charter/. 

And I’d love to hear from you if you do take the time to write a letter and would be happy to post a copy on our website.

Best regards

Ben

To contact the Premier:

Email:  ted.baillieu@parliament.vic.gov.au

Post:

Office of the Premier
GPO Box 4912V V
Melbourne, Victoria
Australia, 3002

Ben Schokman
Director — International Human Rights Advocacy

The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission is conducting research into the experiences of students with disability in Victorian schools.

This follows an increase in complaints to the Commission relating to disability discrimination in education, and concerns raised by parents of children with disability, disability advocacy groups and members of the Commission’s Disability Reference Group about the provision of education services to students with disability. Link to website : http://www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=1541&Itemid=7&fb_source=message

The Practical Research Autism Centre (PRAC) announces the launch of its website autismprac.org.au
autismprac.org.au has been created to serve as a source of information on schools-based education research.

PRAC aims to provide world-class practical research in autism education. Its work is oriented by a theory-to-practice model, where research informs practice.

Researchers who join PRAC’s community as registered users can:
• apply to PRAC for support for their research
• find out about current research projects being supported in Australia and
internationally
• make links with other researchers
• access web based publication and resources and consultancy.

AFSA is a unique statewide parent organisation taking your concerns and your issues to policy makers AND making change. We can also support you at a personal level to help change your personal situation. We do this free of charge to anyone who asks.

Please consider becoming involved in AFSA. Our Committee of Management meets monthly. You can be involved as a general member of the committee or help out with, (or learn new skills):-
1.    Representation – attending meetings with govt and other stakeholders (systemic advocacy)
2.    Website – maintaining info, content management etc
3.    Phone contact – person for ‘members’ to contact with concerns, queries etc
4.    Communication/Information – eContact, Annual Report, letters to editor, communication with other support groups
5.    Activities – organise social or capacity building activities for parents
6.    Individual support / advocacy

This year the Committee of Management opted for an intimate informal evening 13th October 2011 at our usual meeting place, 1368 Toorak Road, Burwood. (Above Cash Converters). The AGM commenced at 7.30pm followed by a light supper. It gave everyone an opportunity to talk at length to members of the Committee, share stories and pass on perls of wisdom.

Our new President is Richard Joseph. Annual Report for the year 2010 Available HERE  afsa-annual-report-2011-for-year-2010 

APAC13 will be held in Adelaide  7 - 9 August 2013.  Here’s a little taste.. Be Bold, Be Brave, Be Brilliant, Video here

Autism Friendly Learning
The Department recognises that children and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) represent a diverse body of individuals requiring a wide range of supports and intervention services. MORE+