Autism spectrum

• The Australian government released its draft National Autism Strategy yesterday.
• Now focus shifts to whether the draft strategy – open for public feedback until the end of May – fulfils the hopes of the community.

Why a national autism strategy?

• Increased awareness has been a key factor behind the surge in the prevalence of autism diagnosis in Australia, estimated to be at least 3.2% of school-aged children.
• As reported in the draft strategy, the life expectancy of autistic Australians is on average more than 20 years shorter than non-autistic Australians.
• They are nine times more likely to die of suicide and they experience higher rates of physical and sexual abuse.

Read more:
New national autism guideline will finally give families a roadmap for therapy decisions

Who is involved?

• This is a great strength of the development process, which also involves working groups in key topic areas.
• But the fact the National Autism Strategy is being developed independent of state and territory governments constrains it.
• Read more:
  We don't need a hydrotherapy pool in every school, but we do need quality public education for all kids

What does the strategy include?

The draft strategy proposes 24 commitments across key areas such as:

• The draft strategy calls for public education campaigns about autistic Australians in the workplace, facilitating meaningful employment opportunities, and improving access to quality and timely supports that nurture autistic identity.
• It also calls for greater leadership and active involvement of autistic Australians in related policy and accountability mechanisms.

But there is room for improvement

• Improving this evidence base is a key priority to ensure the safety and effectiveness of supports for autistic individuals, but currently the strategy remains silent on this.
• Even where states and territories have primary jurisdiction, the federal government can still play a major role in leading change.
• Similarly, while education policy is set at the state and territory level, the federal government is a significant contributor to school funding.

Is the draft National Autism Strategy a game-changer?

• The draft National Autism Strategy includes an array of commitments that represent a critical step forward for the understanding, inclusion and empowerment of autistic Australians.
• However, its title of “National Autism Strategy” implies an ambition the terms of reference mean it could never meet.
• Alongside a top-down strategy, the goal of a coordinated approach could be better met by National Cabinet, which brings together the prime minister and the state premiers and territory chief ministers.

Andrew Whitehouse receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Autism CRC, and the Angela Wright Bennett Foundation. Andrew was a member of the Social Inclusion Working Group that contributed to the National Autism Strategy.

• “Scientific innovation cannot forge ahead without patients that are willing to work with the scientific community by participating in clinical trials.
• The enrollment of our first patient means that we are moving towards a new frontier in the treatment of ASD,” said Oz Adler, SciSparc’s Chief Executive Officer.
• “We are pleased to enroll the first patient in the trial, which will further our understanding of the potential role of SCI-210 in the treatment of ASD symptoms."
• The Company's goal is to sell SCI-210 first in Israel and then in other countries, subject to obtaining the requisite regulatory approvals.

• "A clinical trial is a complicated project composed of many little steps- which in turn help ensure successful execution.
• Having the clinical supply ready on site is the final step before first patient is administered treatment.
• The clinical trial will rigorously examine the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of SCI- 210, in comparison to CBD monotherapy, for the treatment of ASD.
• Designed as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with cross-over, the clinical trial will span 20 weeks and enroll 60 children.

• Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) neurologist Shafali Spurling Jeste, MD , has been named the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Martha Bridge Denckla Award from the Child Neurology Society.
• View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240304251113/en/
  Children's Hospital Los Angeles Neurologist Shafali Spurling Jeste, MD, earns the Martha Bridge Denckla Award from the Child Neurology Society.
• A Board-certified pediatric neurologist, Dr. Jeste has authored and contributed to more than 200 journal papers, editorials, chapters and abstracts.
• She completed an internship, residency and a fellowship in behavioral child neurology at Boston Children’s Hospital.