World Autism Awareness Day

The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Stuart) (12:57): By leave, I move my motion in an amended form as follows:

That this house—

(a) acknowledges that World Autism Awareness Day will be held on 2 April 2025;

(b) encourages everyone to understand and promote the awareness of autism;

(c) promotes World Autism Awareness Day throughout various government and non-government locations; and

(d) ensures that we are working towards a state where autistic individuals can live their best lives, and their families and communities are supported and valued.

I would like to just quickly talk about autism and related issues. This is something that we do not talk about very much but there are a lot of people out there with autism and ADHD, and some people do not understand the challenges and the issues they may have. One thing I want to be able to do is to promote the fact that in April 2025 we will observe World Autism Awareness Day, a day designated by the United Nations to promote understanding, acceptance and support for individuals on the autism spectrum.

As we approach this significant day, it is an opportune moment to reflect on our collective responsibilities and the actions we can take to foster an inclusive society. Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a range of neurological conditions characterised by differences in social statistics.

The report states that in 2022 there were 209,900 (1.1 per cent) autistic Australians, a 41.8 per cent increase from the 205,200 (0.8 per cent) autistic Australians in 2018. This rise underscores the necessity for enhanced support systems and resources to accommodate the growing number of individuals and families affected by autism. Despite this increase in diagnoses, research suggests that autism has been underdiagnosed, particularly among girls, women and gender diverse people. There is no definitive test for autism. Diagnosis is made on the basis of developmental assessments and behavioural observations.

Debate adjourned.

Sitting suspended from 13:00 to 14:00.