Updating the National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism
In 2018, Autism CRC published the National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Australia. This was the first national autism practice guideline in Australia, and it has led to important changes in the way autism is understood, assessed, and diagnosed in the Australian community.
It is now time to update the Guideline and we are inviting all members of the autistic and autism communities to get involved. The update will be led by a Guideline Development Group, that includes people with diverse perspectives, experience, and expertise. The group includes autistic people, family members, a First Nations professional who is also a parent of an autistic child, an expert in ethics, and clinician-researchers with expertise in Guideline development. The group is diverse in terms of culture, gender, identity, professional and personal expertise, and communication preferences.
The Guideline Development Group will be co-chaired by Dr Emma Goodall who brings to the role both professional and personal expertise in autism and Associate Professor David Trembath who co-chaired the development of the National Guideline for supporting autistic children and their families.
There are two ways to contribute to the update:
- Online Survey: Anyone can complete an online survey, which will ask for your views about assessment and diagnosis. An option to submit artwork instead of text responses is also available through the online survey.
- Survey submissions are now closed.
- Focus Groups: If you are an autistic person, a family member, and/or a practitioner involved in assessment and diagnosis, you can join a focus group to share your views.
- Registration of interest for the focus groups is now closed.
To learn more and get involved, visit the Guideline Update page on our website.
There will be a further opportunity to contribute in the new year, when we release an updated version of the Guideline for public consultation.