Stories
Stories matter. They help us all to know that others have walked the same path, and we should all have the right to say who we are. People on the autistic spectrum and their parents, siblings or teachers are warmly invited to for publication here. Read More.
Thoughts
Out in the world and coping with an ‘invisible disability’
The following article was written by Reesh Lyon, a journalism student at Wellington’s Whitireia Polytechnic, about Alan George a member of his quiz team. It is reproduced here with the permission of Alan, Reesh and the journalism course. The full article is at http://www.newswire.co.nz/2009/03/invisible-disability/
Mar 30th, 2009 | By Reesh Lyon | Category: Featured Article, Front Page [...]
World Autism Day 2 April
Thursday 2 April was World Autism DayÂ
President Obama didn’t forget World Autism Awareness Day and his office sent out this message
 Hello,
Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy,
advised me to send you the following attachments.
Thank you for all that you do,
Matt Tranchin
The White House
Office of Public Liaison
March 30, 2009
It is with profound commitment [...]
Newsy bits and pieces
Consumer ForumsÂ
The Ministry of Health’s Disability Services is holding a series of forums around the country in March / April seeking feedback from people using DS funded services. Please go along if you can or make a postal, on-line or phone submission We need to complain loudly about Needs Assessment Service Coordination not accepting referrals [...]
The Jobs Summit- An Aspie Analysis.
Hi everyone,
 Hope this blog finds everyone in ‘cyber space’ well.
I was very interested in the Prime Minister’s ’summit on employment’ last Friday. Those who know me won’t be very surprised by that (but they might be surprised to read that I didn’t watch the closing comments live- I was exploring another passion of mine- cricket- [...]
Education National Standards Amendment Act 2008 and implications for students with autism and their families
I was angered that a significant change to the Education Act was passed by Parliament through all its stages under urgency before Christmas. It increased fines for parents of students who were not attending school, and it made way for publicly notified standardised testing of primary school students (as in the No Child Left Behind policy of the United States). [...]
Does everyone with AS want or need a diagnosis?
Sarah is a New Zealand trained clinician working in Australia. As someone skilled in recognising autism spectrum conditions, she often faces a  dilemma about disclosure of possible AS to her patients. She wrote this for humans. She also has a website www.aspiesontv.blogspot.com
As a clinician working with a range of general patients, but with a research and clinical interest in [...]
A Tribute to Mrs. Suzman
Firstly, happy New Year to everyone involved with this great website. New Year’s Resolution- fit a little time in the busy nature of life in disability advocacy to post here.
Hope everyone’s holidays have been good? I have really enjoyed taking time out and recharging the batteries with my family here in Blenheim. But in truth, [...]
Recommendations to the Obama Transition Team
Ari Ne’eman, who runs the Autistic Self Advocacy Network in the US, has sent out their recommendations about autism to the Obama Transition Team. President-elect Obama has already promised to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and even had autism-specific policies in his election manifesto. These recommendations have been made at the request of the Transition Team, [...]
Update on the NZ ASD Guideline from the Ministry of Health December 2008
Here is the latest official news on the Austism Spectrum Disorder Guideline from the Ministry of Health. Some of the formatting and visual information has been lost in translation but you can see the original pdf at  New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Guideline Updates
http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/pagesmh/8594/$File/asd-newsletter-dec08.pdf
Two new tenders have also just been released as part of the implementation process. [...]
THE NZ ASD GUIDELINE: BRINGING LIVED EXPERIENCE INTO POLICY
[This is an abridged version of a paper IÂ gave as part of a symposium on the NZ ASD Guideline at the Australasian ASSID conference in Melbourne on 26 November 2008. I would be interested in any feedback.]Â
Introduction
The New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline is a whole of spectrum, whole of life, whole of government approach [...]
