Ms HALL (3:42 PM) —I second the motion and I would like to congratulate the member for Canning on bringing this important motion to the parliament for the House to discuss. The motion acknowledges autism as a significant disability, one that has a profound and lifelong impact on the person suffering from autism, on their family and on the community as a whole. I think that it is of absolute importance that all levels of government work together to deliver services to those families and to those people. Autism actually affects 31,500 children and about 100,000 adults in Australia. So that is quite significant. In my readings I have come up with the figure that it is 10 times more common than cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy combined, and more common than multiple sclerosis, Down syndrome and childhood cancer. So that is the level of significance this disability has on people in our community.

The causes of autism are unknown. There is some talk that it comes from environmental factors, genetic predisposition, and that it is more likely that certain children with a genetic predisposition will end up with autism. It is four times more common in boys than it is in girls and it affects a person at a number of levels. It affects the person's intellectual functioning but not necessarily their capabilities. The person affected has an uneven pattern of skills. It affects communication skills, and that is probably the greatest area that it has an impact on as it affects social interaction. People affected have difficulty following and understanding relationships, and that is once again linked with the communication problem. Affected people have inconsistent sensory responses and their activities and interests are restricted as is their ability to move from one activity to another; there is a rigidity in routine. As children they lack the ability to engage in imaginative play.

I was speaking to Dale from the Parliamentary Library. He has a child with autism and he gave me some information to add to this debate. I certainly hope he does not mind me mentioning his name. He pointed out that respite, education and health services are stretched in all states across the board. Autism includes a spectrum of classic and other disorders, such as Asperger's and more severe forms of autism. In a previous life I worked with people with disabilities. Two young men in particular come to mind, one of whom was suffering from Asperger's. He was very intelligent but his communication problems prevented him moving into and sustaining meaningful employment, a problem common to many who suffer from Asperger's. The other young person—and I have mentioned him in the parliament before—is Troy Puttergill. He initially went to a special school for children suffering from autism and then attended a mainstream school. In later life he has become a very good swimmer and has won medals throughout the world. He has been able to develop a lot of skills and had a lot of opportunities to grow. There are a number of places where people can find assistance. In the time that is remaining I would like to point out that there is a need for more research into autism and a need for people to have access to better and more affordable diagnosis. I also point out the importance of early intervention. I commend the motion to the House. (Time expired)