New guideline to support wellbeing of children with autism

The guideline was co-designed with the autism community and partly funded by a private bequest.

The federal government has announced the country’s first national practice guideline to support autistic children in their early years.

The National Guideline for Supporting the Learning, Participation, and Wellbeing of Autistic Children and their Families was developed by the Autism CRC in accordance with the National Health and Medical Research Council’s framework for best practice guidelines.

Speaking at the launch at Parliament House on Thursday 16 February, Autism CRC’s research strategy director Andrew Whitehouse said the guideline provides clarity on “good clinical practice”.

Whitehouse was co-chair of the 15-member Guideline Development Group (GDG) that developed the guideline. It was developed in consultation with more than 1000 people, including autistic people, their family members and practitioners.

The guideline includes 84 consensus-based recommendations, all of which have been approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Each recommendation also includes a set of ‘good practice points’ that provide critical context around how the recommendation should be implemented in a clinical setting or how it can be applied in particular circumstances or populations.

The focus, according to the Autism CRC, is “on the delivery of non-pharmacological supports in community and clinical settings that aim to support children aged 0-12 years”, however the guideline recognises that these early supports “should lay the foundation for a positive future”.

Associate professor David Trembath from Griffith University, who also co-chaired the GDG said, “an important element of this guideline was the involvement of autistic people on the GDG. This is a critical step forward and ensures that autistic voices are captured in clinical practice.”

Autistic adult, advocate and GDG member, Katharine Annear, agreed. 

“Participating in the GDG for this contemporary and potentially transformational guideline was a defining moment in my participation in advocacy for Autistic people. The project leads, GDG members and the research team were committed to co-design and consultation with autistic children and adults and their family members,” Annear said.

The GDG also created a reference group that included representation from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, CALD communities and government agencies.

The guideline was funded by the Autism CRC with assistance from a bequest by Basil Waugh.

Social services minister Amanda Rishworth said the new guideline will help practitioners better understand what early resources may be needed to tailor support for autistic children.

The recent announcement of $2 million in Commonwealth funding to the Autism CRC and commencement of work on the National Autism Strategy will also support the implementation of the guideline, according to the minister.

“Our government has a clear and dedicated vision to improve the lives of all autistic people,” Rishworth said.

“By working closely with the autism community and making sure their voices are at the centre of policy making, we are committed to improving research and supports and to ensure no one gets left behind.

“This guideline is an important step, outlining 84 recommendations to support consistent, effective and efficient delivery of evidence-based supports for autistic children up to 12 years of age. The evidence-based and inclusive development of this guideline is a demonstration of how the government will develop its National Autism Strategy.”

For more information or to access the guideline, visit the Autism CRC website.