CANBERRA, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has launched the first national strategy to improve the lives of people with autism.
Amanda Rishworth, the minister for Social Services, on Tuesday unveiled the first National Autism Strategy, promising improved inclusion, support and life outcomes for all autistic Australians.
The 42.3 million Australian dollar (26.1 million U.S. dollar) plan includes 22 commitments on four key reform areas.
Of the funding, 19.9 million Australian dollars over four years will go toward a peer support program that will provide lived-experience knowledge, empathy and culturally tailored advice to autistic people.
Another 12.2 million Australian dollars will fund a new body that will translate autism-related research into evidence-based tools and guidance for service providers and policymakers.
The government will also spend 2.8 million Australian dollars funding a study to find the true prevalence of autism in Australia.
"Addressing the barriers autistic people face in areas like education, employment and diagnosis is long overdue and we are proud to deliver a strategy that will change lives for the better," Rishworth said in a statement.
According to the Department of Social Services, there are an estimated 290,000 Australians with an autism diagnosis though the strategy says the true number is likely much higher.
Autistic Australians are six times more likely to be unemployed than the general population and two to three times more likely to die early.
Five percent of autistic Australians have a university bachelor's degree compared to 20 percent of all people with a disability and 35 percent of people without disability.
The strategy was built by the government in collaboration with autistic people and the National Autism Strategy Oversight Council.
Clare Gibellini, co-chair of the National Autism Strategy Oversight Council, said that the strategy recognizes that people with autism have additional support needs. (1 Australian dollar equals 0.62 U.S. dollars) ■