New research conducted by Autism NZ and Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, and funded by Australia’s Autism CRC, highlights the urgent need to address the many gaps, inconsistencies and barriers to autism supports and services in Aotearoa.
The study worked with 1,042 participants, including Autistic individuals, family members and professionals, with the goal of understanding the nature of existing supports, and providing suggestions for future supports and implementation.
The report identifies significant barriers to support across almost all areas of life. In particular, access to diagnosis and supports for adults was rated as extremely poor, with no public pathway to diagnosis for Autistic adults in New Zealand. Even with a diagnosis, Autistic adults indicated a complete absence of appropriate mental health support and accessible housing, leading at times to catastrophic outcomes.
You can read the full report here: https://www.autismcrc.com.au/knowledge-centre/reports/how-do-we-get-autism-support-right-aotearoa-new-zealand
There is also a plain-language community report and an Easy Read version available at the link.