Response to the launch of Australia’s first National Autism Strategy, the associated Action Plan, and financial investment of $42.3 million - a much-needed step forward in government policy.

Specialisterne Australia warmly welcomes the release of the National Autism Strategy. This landmark initiative marks a significant and encouraging step towards creating a more inclusive and supportive society for autistic individuals. The strategy sets a solid foundation, and we are excited about the possibilities it holds for driving real, transformative change.
While we celebrate this progress, tangible actions and clear accountabilities will be essential to fully realise the strategy’s potential. Employers play a vital role in this journey, and we see great potential for this strategy to adopt a framework similar to the UK Autism Act. A tailored framework could provide incentives for business, and ensure employers are clearly connected to the opportunities that hiring and supporting autistic employees presents, enabling significant and lasting change in workplaces nationwide.
Specialisterne’s mission is to work with employers to realise greater inclusion of Autistic and neurodivergent individuals in the workplace through training and education, inclusive recruitment, workplace support and advisory services. We partner with employers to diversify their workforce by hiring and supporting autistic and neurodivergent employees, helping them thrive in their roles. Our mission aligns closely with two of the strategy's key focus areas: economic inclusion and social inclusion. We support the outcome to improve employment opportunities and outcomes for Autistic people, and greater awareness and responsiveness of employers and workplaces, enabling meaningful and sustainable employment opportunities.
The impact of our work is best reflected in the words of an autistic individual placed through the Specialisterne IBM Neurodiversity Recruitment Program:
"Employment at IBM has changed my life in more ways than I could have imagined. Not only has it given me the financial stability to get married to my now wife, but it’s helped me accept a part of me I spent a long time trying to hide. I’ve learned to fully embrace who I am and the strengths that come with that, and it’s the happiest I’ve been in a long time. Going to work where I know I’m appreciated and accepted makes me look forward to it. The Specialisterne IBM Neurodiversity program enabled all of this and taught me to value my differences in a way nothing and nobody else ever has. I feel more confident in myself, my strengths and even my weaknesses, and I’m continuing to learn to embrace what makes me unique, without stressing about what other people think." - IBM Employee
Our Executive Director, Michelle Crawford, reflects on our ongoing commitment:
"Over the past nine years, we have facilitated employment for 630 neurodivergent individuals with a 97% retention rate, driven by a passion for enabling people to realise their potential. Specialisterne Australia’s newly established Neurodiversity Network is a vital step forward, providing guidance as we work toward greater workplace understanding of the talents and skills autistic and neurodivergent individuals bring.
With 34% of working-age Australians (15-64 years) on the autism spectrum facing unemployment—eight times higher than the national unemployment rate—there is much more to do to realise inclusive hiring practices and workplaces.
Following our submission to the review in May 2024, our team is excited to continue partnering to realise the four key outcome areas of the newly launched National Autism Strategy. Through our work, we remain focused on advancing social and economic inclusion for autistic and neurodivergent Australians. We look forward to collaborating on the next steps to bring this vision to life.”
We remain optimistic about the journey ahead and are committed to working collaboratively with policymakers, employers, and the community to turn the vision of the National Autism Strategy into a reality.
References:
ABC Article "Creating inclusive workplaces for neurodivergent people can improve company performance", Sept 2024
Media enquiries:
Vicky Little, Chief Operating Officervicky.little@specialisterne.com
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