New Year Message from the CEO

Welcome to 2021. I wish you all a healthy and happy New Year. I hope 2021 started on a positive note for you.  

At the end of 2020, Amaze wrapped up the year with the launch of our Autism Connect helpline in Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT.  

We were excited to see that it has already begun helping more Australians by providing autistic people and their families and professionals with information, advice and referral. 

Work is underway for further expansion of Autism Connect and we aim to launch nationally later in the year.  

It is truly an exciting time for us and for me personally because expanding our wonderful autism advisor service nationally as Autism Connect has been one of my personal goals since 2015. 

We are also going so see some big changes this year in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).  

These are changes that will affect how people access the NDIS and how budgets and plans will be determined.  

Many people in our community have found these proposed changes confusing and concerning and we are listening and relaying these concerns directly back to the NDIA.  

As a member of the Australian Autism Alliance, we are meeting with the NDIA every week and participating in meetings with other national disability peak organisations to provide the much needed voices of autistic people and their families who are participants in the Scheme to ensure the changes are going to benefit them.  

This year, all eyes will also be on Victoria as the Autism Education Strategy begins its roll out over the next 4 years.    

With something for every autistic student, the strategy will transform the educational experience and in turn, attainment levels of autistic students, so they are able to achieve what we know they’re capable of achieving.  

Amaze’s aspiration is that by 2024 autistic students have a greatly improved educational experience and improved attainment levels.  

Thank you to all our supporters, contributors and our community for your ongoing support. It will be an exciting and busy year for Amaze and we look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure autistic people are able to live their best lives.  

Fiona Sharkie