Current Ministry of Education funded ASD projects

Determining the priorities for supporting children and young people with ASD

For many years the Ministry of Education has been supported and advised by the ASD Advisory Reference Group. This Group identified two priorities for improving services and support for young people with ASD: provision of robust, evidence-based information, and improving the skills, knowledge and confidence of those who support the young people. These twin priorities formed the direction for additional Education funding, specifically around ASD and specifically for these purposes.

Budget 2004

Building on the advice from the ASD Advisory Reference Group, in the Education section of the government’s Budget 2004, funding was made available for a research and professional learning programme aimed at improving the quality of education and support for children and young people with ASD.

These programmes are not about direct provision of special education services. Current programmes include the following:

• Parent education
• Specialist teacher workshops
• Tips for autism – team professional learning and development
  For more information about this initiative visit www.tipsforautism.org.nz
• ASD: A Resource for Teachers booklet
• ASDnet – online community of practice
• ASD Early Intervention Development Project
  For more information about this initiative visit www.asdev.org.nz
• ASD GSE Advisory Group (agog!)
  This group is made up of mangers from the Ministry of Education, Special Education and advises the National ASD Project team. agog! meets twice each year.

National ASD Projects team

Joanna Curzon: Team Leader, Research

Shelley O'Sullivan: Senior Advisor, ASD Projects

To contact the National ASD Project team: asd.mailbox@minedu.govt.nz [no spam].

For information about what is happening in Health about children and young people with ASD, go to the Ministry of Health's website.