❓ Mr. Castrilli questions the Minister for Disability Services about long wait times for autism assessments in the metropolitan region. The Minister acknowledges the issue, citing staff vacancies and efforts to improve services, particularly in regional WA, with recent recruitment to reduce waiting times.
AnsweredQoN 20Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
AUTISM ASSESSMENTS
Given the importance of the early identification of autism in children — (1) Why is it that families in the metropolitan region have to wait an average of seven months for a so-called early intervention autism assessment? (2) Why is it that families in the metropolitan region have to wait an average of a year and a half for a school-age autism assessment? (3) Given the anxiety that these unacceptable waiting times cause for parents, what action will the minister now be taking to speed up assessment times? Ms S.M. McHALE
Given the importance of the early identification of autism in children — (1) Why is it that families in the metropolitan region have to wait an average of seven months for a so-called early intervention autism assessment? (2) Why is it that families in the metropolitan region have to wait an average of a year and a half for a school-age autism assessment? (3) Given the anxiety that these unacceptable waiting times cause for parents, what action will the minister now be taking to speed up assessment times? Ms S.M. McHALE
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Bunbury, not only for the question but for lobbying on behalf of some of the families in that region. I am grateful to him for that. (1)-(3) Early in December or January I was in Bunbury talking with families who have children with autism and explaining to them that the efforts we have put into improving the services for families with children with autism were significant. I indicated that waiting times were not acceptable to me and that they had slipped. As a consequence of that, the Disability Services Commission has made a concerted effort to recruit staff into the area so that the services to regional Western Australia can be improved. One of the acknowledged issues was vacancies among therapists. The waiting time was also acknowledged as not being acceptable. We have now built up the full complement of staff in therapy services. I was able to indicate to those families that the waiting times ought to be reduced.
(1) Why is it that families in the metropolitan region have to wait an average of seven months for a so-called early intervention autism assessment? (2) Why is it that families in the metropolitan region have to wait an average of a year and a half for a school-age autism assessment? (3) Given the anxiety that these unacceptable waiting times cause for parents, what action will the minister now be taking to speed up assessment times? Ms S.M. McHALE replied: I thank the member for Bunbury, not only for the question but for lobbying on behalf of some of the families in that region. I am grateful to him for that. (1)-(3) Early in December or January I was in Bunbury talking with families who have children with autism and explaining to them that the efforts we have put into improving the services for families with children with autism were significant. I indicated that waiting times were not acceptable to me and that they had slipped. As a consequence of that, the Disability Services Commission has made a concerted effort to recruit staff into the area so that the services to regional Western Australia can be improved. One of the acknowledged issues was vacancies among therapists. The waiting time was also acknowledged as not being acceptable. We have now built up the full complement of staff in therapy services. I was able to indicate to those families that the waiting times ought to be reduced.
(2) Why is it that families in the metropolitan region have to wait an average of a year and a half for a school-age autism assessment? (3) Given the anxiety that these unacceptable waiting times cause for parents, what action will the minister now be taking to speed up assessment times? Ms S.M. McHALE replied: I thank the member for Bunbury, not only for the question but for lobbying on behalf of some of the families in that region. I am grateful to him for that. (1)-(3) Early in December or January I was in Bunbury talking with families who have children with autism and explaining to them that the efforts we have put into improving the services for families with children with autism were significant. I indicated that waiting times were not acceptable to me and that they had slipped. As a consequence of that, the Disability Services Commission has made a concerted effort to recruit staff into the area so that the services to regional Western Australia can be improved. One of the acknowledged issues was vacancies among therapists. The waiting time was also acknowledged as not being acceptable. We have now built up the full complement of staff in therapy services. I was able to indicate to those families that the waiting times ought to be reduced.
(3) Given the anxiety that these unacceptable waiting times cause for parents, what action will the minister now be taking to speed up assessment times? Ms S.M. McHALE replied: I thank the member for Bunbury, not only for the question but for lobbying on behalf of some of the families in that region. I am grateful to him for that. (1)-(3) Early in December or January I was in Bunbury talking with families who have children with autism and explaining to them that the efforts we have put into improving the services for families with children with autism were significant. I indicated that waiting times were not acceptable to me and that they had slipped. As a consequence of that, the Disability Services Commission has made a concerted effort to recruit staff into the area so that the services to regional Western Australia can be improved. One of the acknowledged issues was vacancies among therapists. The waiting time was also acknowledged as not being acceptable. We have now built up the full complement of staff in therapy services. I was able to indicate to those families that the waiting times ought to be reduced.
Ms S.M. McHALE replied: I thank the member for Bunbury, not only for the question but for lobbying on behalf of some of the families in that region. I am grateful to him for that. (1)-(3) Early in December or January I was in Bunbury talking with families who have children with autism and explaining to them that the efforts we have put into improving the services for families with children with autism were significant. I indicated that waiting times were not acceptable to me and that they had slipped. As a consequence of that, the Disability Services Commission has made a concerted effort to recruit staff into the area so that the services to regional Western Australia can be improved. One of the acknowledged issues was vacancies among therapists. The waiting time was also acknowledged as not being acceptable. We have now built up the full complement of staff in therapy services. I was able to indicate to those families that the waiting times ought to be reduced.
I thank the member for Bunbury, not only for the question but for lobbying on behalf of some of the families in that region. I am grateful to him for that. (1)-(3) Early in December or January I was in Bunbury talking with families who have children with autism and explaining to them that the efforts we have put into improving the services for families with children with autism were significant. I indicated that waiting times were not acceptable to me and that they had slipped. As a consequence of that, the Disability Services Commission has made a concerted effort to recruit staff into the area so that the services to regional Western Australia can be improved. One of the acknowledged issues was vacancies among therapists. The waiting time was also acknowledged as not being acceptable. We have now built up the full complement of staff in therapy services. I was able to indicate to those families that the waiting times ought to be reduced.
(1)-(3) Early in December or January I was in Bunbury talking with families who have children with autism and explaining to them that the efforts we have put into improving the services for families with children with autism were significant. I indicated that waiting times were not acceptable to me and that they had slipped. As a consequence of that, the Disability Services Commission has made a concerted effort to recruit staff into the area so that the services to regional Western Australia can be improved. One of the acknowledged issues was vacancies among therapists. The waiting time was also acknowledged as not being acceptable. We have now built up the full complement of staff in therapy services. I was able to indicate to those families that the waiting times ought to be reduced.
(1) Why is it that families in the metropolitan region have to wait an average of seven months for a so-called early intervention autism assessment? (2) Why is it that families in the metropolitan region have to wait an average of a year and a half for a school-age autism assessment? (3) Given the anxiety that these unacceptable waiting times cause for parents, what action will the minister now be taking to speed up assessment times? Ms S.M. McHALE replied: I thank the member for Bunbury, not only for the question but for lobbying on behalf of some of the families in that region. I am grateful to him for that. (1)-(3) Early in December or January I was in Bunbury talking with families who have children with autism and explaining to them that the efforts we have put into improving the services for families with children with autism were significant. I indicated that waiting times were not acceptable to me and that they had slipped. As a consequence of that, the Disability Services Commission has made a concerted effort to recruit staff into the area so that the services to regional Western Australia can be improved. One of the acknowledged issues was vacancies among therapists. The waiting time was also acknowledged as not being acceptable. We have now built up the full complement of staff in therapy services. I was able to indicate to those families that the waiting times ought to be reduced.
(2) Why is it that families in the metropolitan region have to wait an average of a year and a half for a school-age autism assessment? (3) Given the anxiety that these unacceptable waiting times cause for parents, what action will the minister now be taking to speed up assessment times? Ms S.M. McHALE replied: I thank the member for Bunbury, not only for the question but for lobbying on behalf of some of the families in that region. I am grateful to him for that. (1)-(3) Early in December or January I was in Bunbury talking with families who have children with autism and explaining to them that the efforts we have put into improving the services for families with children with autism were significant. I indicated that waiting times were not acceptable to me and that they had slipped. As a consequence of that, the Disability Services Commission has made a concerted effort to recruit staff into the area so that the services to regional Western Australia can be improved. One of the acknowledged issues was vacancies among therapists. The waiting time was also acknowledged as not being acceptable. We have now built up the full complement of staff in therapy services. I was able to indicate to those families that the waiting times ought to be reduced.
(3) Given the anxiety that these unacceptable waiting times cause for parents, what action will the minister now be taking to speed up assessment times? Ms S.M. McHALE replied: I thank the member for Bunbury, not only for the question but for lobbying on behalf of some of the families in that region. I am grateful to him for that. (1)-(3) Early in December or January I was in Bunbury talking with families who have children with autism and explaining to them that the efforts we have put into improving the services for families with children with autism were significant. I indicated that waiting times were not acceptable to me and that they had slipped. As a consequence of that, the Disability Services Commission has made a concerted effort to recruit staff into the area so that the services to regional Western Australia can be improved. One of the acknowledged issues was vacancies among therapists. The waiting time was also acknowledged as not being acceptable. We have now built up the full complement of staff in therapy services. I was able to indicate to those families that the waiting times ought to be reduced.
Ms S.M. McHALE replied: I thank the member for Bunbury, not only for the question but for lobbying on behalf of some of the families in that region. I am grateful to him for that. (1)-(3) Early in December or January I was in Bunbury talking with families who have children with autism and explaining to them that the efforts we have put into improving the services for families with children with autism were significant. I indicated that waiting times were not acceptable to me and that they had slipped. As a consequence of that, the Disability Services Commission has made a concerted effort to recruit staff into the area so that the services to regional Western Australia can be improved. One of the acknowledged issues was vacancies among therapists. The waiting time was also acknowledged as not being acceptable. We have now built up the full complement of staff in therapy services. I was able to indicate to those families that the waiting times ought to be reduced.
I thank the member for Bunbury, not only for the question but for lobbying on behalf of some of the families in that region. I am grateful to him for that. (1)-(3) Early in December or January I was in Bunbury talking with families who have children with autism and explaining to them that the efforts we have put into improving the services for families with children with autism were significant. I indicated that waiting times were not acceptable to me and that they had slipped. As a consequence of that, the Disability Services Commission has made a concerted effort to recruit staff into the area so that the services to regional Western Australia can be improved. One of the acknowledged issues was vacancies among therapists. The waiting time was also acknowledged as not being acceptable. We have now built up the full complement of staff in therapy services. I was able to indicate to those families that the waiting times ought to be reduced.
(1)-(3) Early in December or January I was in Bunbury talking with families who have children with autism and explaining to them that the efforts we have put into improving the services for families with children with autism were significant. I indicated that waiting times were not acceptable to me and that they had slipped. As a consequence of that, the Disability Services Commission has made a concerted effort to recruit staff into the area so that the services to regional Western Australia can be improved. One of the acknowledged issues was vacancies among therapists. The waiting time was also acknowledged as not being acceptable. We have now built up the full complement of staff in therapy services. I was able to indicate to those families that the waiting times ought to be reduced.
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