Elena Barnes
NSW
2nd July, 2010

Inquiry into Disability Care and Support
Productivity Commission
GPO Box 1428
Canberra City ACT 2601

My name is Elena Barnes and I have two sons’ with autism. My older son Alex is 12 and has mild Autism, and the younger son Jack is 10 and has very severe Autism.

I support a system that provides better life-long services for people with autism. 

We use the following services: 
•	DSA - Specialist Intervention Services for Jack’s behaviour management assistance
•	RIAP - Flexible Respite services for both boys
We need more help with the more severe kids with autism. There is so much more parents have to deal with on a daily basis. I know because Jack is so much more work than Alex.
There also needs to be more post school options for all our children.
My ideas about how we can make disability services better include: 
•	More post school activities for the more severe kids who will never be able to work
•	More support for parents of kids with severe autism
•	More school options, we need more Autism Specific Schools providing an Autism Specific way of teaching using lots of visuals and reinforcement.
•	Decent post school options for all children who cannot work a regular job
•	Supported accommodation so young adults can move out from the family home for independence, but they need help with socialising and some living skills. A type of group home that is supervised would be ideal, and help form friendships.
•	Plenty of good respite for families with severe kids who would never be able to go on long holidays with their severe child. 
•	More interest and awareness towards Autism. Parents carry the burden and no one has any idea how much our lives are restricted having kids with autism.
•	More free, readily available counselling to keep families from breaking down.

Yours sincerely,

Elena Barnes