The National Roadmap to Improve the Health and Mental Health of Autistic People (National Roadmap) emerged from a collaborative co-design process funded by the Federal government. The Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC) proudly contributed to developing this transformative initiative to address the critical health inequities Autistic Australians face.
This roadmap is a long-overdue acknowledgement that Autistic people face complex and entrenched barriers to accessing healthcare. Its emphasis on autism-affirming care demonstrates that Autistic voices have finally been heard and that Autistic values have prevailed. Autistic people fundamentally deserve to be accepted and understood for who we are. Only then can we begin to create genuine social inclusion.
Our role in shaping the National Roadmap
We contributed in various ways:
- Creating knowledge through research
- A formal submission to the Commonwealth Senate Select Committee on Autism
- A formal submission to the Commonwealth Inquiry into Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
- Our staff were members of the Health Roadmap Working Group.
1. Creating knowledge through research
Our research spans four Research Programs with the most relevant to our submissions being health and wellbeing, educational and vocational engagement and identification and diagnosis.
Our research that contributed to the National Roadmap includes:
- Longitudinal research studies showing Autistic Australians have an increased vulnerability to mental health and sleep challenges
- Research quantifying the increased risk of suicide for Autistic people
- Research on Autistic identity and language, and how this interacts with experiences of stigma
- Autism prevalence
- Early identification of autism.
2. Our response to the Select Committee on Autism (Federal, 2020)
The final report of the Select Committee on Autism played a key role in shaping the National Roadmap. The final report includes our research on co-occurring mental health conditions, early supports, social inclusion, and the unique diagnostic challenges girls and women face. This evidence was drawn from our formal submission and the testimony of Emeritus Professors Cheryl Dissanayake AM and Amanda Richdale. These contributions helped shape several of the committee’s recommendations including the national rollout of our Social Attention and Communication Surveillance (SACS) training for maternal and child health nurses and promoting the ASDetect app (iOS, Android).
3. Our response to the Inquiry into Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (Federal, 2021)
Our submission to the inquiry, led by Emeritus Professor Amanda Richdale and Associate Professor Darren Hedley, focused on the significant mental health challenges faced by Autistic Australians and presented evidence-based, autism-informed recommendations to improve access, workforce training, suicide prevention, and tailored supports. Both researchers contributed to a public hearing roundtable alongside AMAZE, offering expert testimony on the barriers Autistic people face in the mental health system—contributions that were specifically referenced in the inquiry’s final report. While the National Roadmap does not reference this inquiry’s final report, it does reflect several of our recommendations.
4. Membership of the Health Roadmap Working Group
The Roadmap Working Group brought together a diverse range of voices, including Autistic people, families, researchers, clinicians, advocates, and government representatives, to help shape the future of autism-related healthcare. Associate Professor Hedley shared expert, evidence-based recommendations. Dr Jac den Houting contributed research expertise and lived experience to ensure the group tackled the most pressing challenges facing Autistic people. The group also supported the National Autism Strategy Oversight Council’s work on health and mental health, where we were represented by Associate Professor Josephine Barbaro.
Evidence-Based Impact Reflected in the National Roadmap
The National Roadmap includes several key recommendations from our submissions to both public inquiries, as well as the input of our representatives in the Working Group and Oversight Council. OTARC’s research, evidence, and team leadership contributed to the National Roadmap in the following areas.
Workforce training for autism-informed care
Focus Area A (Action A5) of the National Roadmap is a commitment to the development of co-designed autism-specific resources for health and mental health professionals. This reflects two of our recommendations:
Recommendation 5 (Select Committee on Autism): Funding for the development and implementation of autism training for healthcare providers …
Recommendation 8 (Mental Health Submission): Education and training of mental health practitioners about autism and mental health is required and should be incorporated in basic training, as well as ongoing professional development …
Focus Areas B and C of the National Roadmap includes commitments to the development of integrated, multidisciplinary models of care tailored to the needs of Autistic people. Outcome B2 and Actions B3, C1, C4, and C5 propose autism-informed frameworks, improved service coordination, and stepped-care approaches across State and Territory systems. These initiatives align with Emeritus Professor Amanda Richdale and Associate Professor Darren Hedley’s research highlighting the vulnerability of Autistic people to mental health challenges and the urgent need for specialised, inclusive supports. They also reflect two of our recommendations:
Recommendation 13 (Select Committee on Autism): Develop and implement evidence-based therapies designed for Autistic people living with co-occurring conditions such anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation and sleep difficulties.
Recommendation 5 (Mental Health Submission):The focus should be on prevention of mental illness across the lifespan due to the high rates of co-occurring mental health difficulties and suicide risk experienced by Autistic people. This should include early supports, teaching life skills, and awareness of the problem in children…
Creating inclusive service environments
Focus Areas A and B of the National Roadmap contain a commitment to making healthcare environments more inclusive, flexible, and person-centred. Actions A2 and B5 call for reasonable adjustments in these setting, which are detailed in the following recommendation:
Recommendation 14 (Select Committee on Autism): Implement changes in service settings to accommodate Autistic clients including longer consultation times and reduced wait times (expedited triage of care), reduced sensory stimulation in waiting and testing rooms.
Early identification and diagnosis
Focus Areas A and B of the National Roadmap recognise the importance of early identification and the impact of delayed diagnosis, as well as highlighting the need for improved diagnostic practices and service planning. This recognition aligns with our recommendation:
Recommendation 6 (Select Committee on Autism): Conduct a comprehensive epidemiological study into autism prevalence in Australia to ascertain diagnostic and service needs for Autistic people throughout their lifespan.
The Federal government announced $2.8 million over 4 years to conduct a comprehensive epidemiological study of autism in Australia in the First Action Plan of the National Autism Strategy in 2025.
Suicide prevention
The National Roadmap recognises that “mental health and suicide prevention are integral to good health.” Several actions reflect our recommendations, including Action E1, which supports improved data collection—a key step toward our call for mandatory reporting of suicide and self-harm events. Currently, Australia does not collect or have accurate data on the number of suicide attempts and completed suicides by Autistic people. Where data is collected, data on co-occurring conditions, including autism status, are typically not included or not reported consistently. These data are essential for driving health policy, proportioning funding allocation, and prioritising public health service provision for Autistic people.
Recommendation 1 (Mental Health Submission):All suicide and self-harm events should be mandatorily reported at a federal level and as part of that a specific question about autism status should be included.
Best-practice service provision
Actions A7 and B6 of the National Roadmap contain commitments to development and national adoption of best-practice guidelines for working with Autistic people. The National Roadmap emphasises aligning service models with current evidence and lived experience, supporting the following recommendations for widespread implementation of best-practice principles.
Recommendation 12 (Mental Health Submission):There must be correct and consistent application of best practice in working with Autistic consumers in all aspects of service provision.
Recommendation 11 (Select Committee on Autism): Develop and adopt best practice guideline for clinicians in the identification and treatment of co-occurring conditions in Autistic people.
Next steps
The Department of Health and Aged Care will implement the National Roadmap alongside the Department of Social Services, which will implement the National Autism Strategy and its Action Plans.
We’re pleased to see many of our recommendations reflected in the National Roadmap. However, some critical areas from our submissions remain unaddressed. We consider the following to be key priorities for future action:
- Embedding autism advisors within public mental health services to improve responses to crisis and complex care
- Expanding access to adult autism diagnostic services, particularly in the public system
- Ensuring autism knowledge is a core inclusion in undergraduate health and psychology degrees.
We will continue to advocate for reforms that are co-designed, inclusive, and grounded in evidence. Our goal is to ensure that Autistic Australians can access health and mental health services that are safe, effective, and neurodiversity-affirming throughout their lives.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
