SAP 203 - Advocacy Report: Policy Change in The Autism Society, WA

This report presents an advocacy approach for policy change within The Autism Society in Western Australia, focusing on improving support for children and young adults with autism. It begins with an overview of relevant policy change theories, including Marxism and Elitist perspectives, and scans working bodies in the policy area. The report justifies the need for policy changes to address issues exacerbated by events like the COVID-19 pandemic. It outlines aspects of the policy and a plan for policy change, emphasizing initial planning, sector collaboration, and strategies for action. Targeting individuals, groups, organizations, and public officials, the report advocates for policies related to autism spectrum disorder research, family empowerment, and prevention of abuse. The ultimate goal is to empower and support autistic children and adults within the community, ensuring their self-determination, independence, and inclusion.

Developing social policy Bachelor in
community services

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY........................................................................................................3
AN OVERVIEW OF REVELANT THEORIES OF POLICY CHANGE................................4
BRIEF SCANNING OF WORKING BODIES IN POLICY AREA AND CHANGES TO
POLICY.....................................................................................................................................4
DEFINING PEAK BODIES AND MENTIONING PEAK BODIES ROLE WITHIN
POLICY CHANGE....................................................................................................................5
JUSTIFICATION.......................................................................................................................5
ASPECTS OF POLICY AND PLAN FOR POLICY CHANGE..............................................5
INITIAL PLANNINGS FOR POLICY CHANGE....................................................................6
WORKING WITH APPROPRIATE SECTOR WITH CAMPAIGNING................................6
STRATEGIES AND ACTION SUITABLE FOR AGENCY AND POLICY CHANGE.........6
TARGETING INDIVIDUAL, GROUPS, ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS
FOR PLANNING OF POLICY ADVOCACY.........................................................................7
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES....................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
The social policies are generally the plan or action of the institutional or the
governmental agencies that specifically aim to enhance or can reform the community. In this,
some of the professional as well as universities can consider the social policies as a subset of
the public policy. On the other hand, professionals can characterize both social and public
policy to be the two separate approaches for the similar public interest, with the social policy
deemed more holistic than the public policy as well. In this essay, there is a discussion about
the policy area in an agency named The Autism Society within Western Australia. There is
need to alter the specific policies within the agency in order improve the knowledge as well
as provide support to the children and young adults. In this essay, the main target for the
altered policy advocacy plan within an agency is generally the children among age group 1 to
30-age-years (Åsa Knaggard, 2015).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Autism spectrum illness are generally a diverse group of conditions. They are
specifically characterized by some of the degree of the difficulty with a social interaction as
well as communication. In addition to this, other characteristics are generally an atypical
pattern of behaviours and activities like difficulty with transitions from one activity to
another, a concentration on details as well as an unusual reaction towards the sensations. In
this, the capabilities as well as the needs of an autistic children and young people can vary as
well as can evolve with time. It is identified that there is an immediate effect of the outbreak
of coronavirus on the autism clinical research that has been both the wide and deep as well.
there are various clinical trials of a new existing effective interventions that have been
required to be either paused or prematurely ceased. It is generally a region where the effective
research is needed as well as among the most supporting autism research trends in the past
years that has been the considerable enhancement within the publication of the rigorous
clinical trials. The main mission of the agency “The Autism Society” is to provide effective
care that can help the autistic children and young adults to perform their daily tasks as well as
can help to build their relationships with other people as well. The policy change can also
help them to gain an effective knowledge or education, employment, access to healthcare
services and many more.

AN OVERVIEW OF REVELANT THEORIES OF POLICY CHANGE.
During the outbreak of coronavirus, autism can affect children, men and women and
autism people can live broadly different lives to each other. Most of the autism people can
live independently, are intellectually able, work, study, though they can still need encourage
and support to perform daily living tasks, socialising, the mental well-being as well as various
other aspects of lives. In addition to this, there are various theories that can help the autistic
children and young people to improve their well-being and a healthy lifestyle such as
Marxism theory, Elitist theory, Corporatist theory and a pluralist theory.
Theory of Marxism: The theorist is a scientific socialism. It generally studies
socialism instead of wishing for it, giving a significant critique of the capitalism as well as
can advocating the self-emancipation of the working class, the basic exploited class under the
capitalism. The theorist generally explains the working class as involving the radical chains,
generally mean the potential as well as the power to free not just itself but the other oppressed
people too. The theorist generally identifies the alterations as well as the social freedom
generally coming via the class struggle, having an ultimate aim of abolishing the division of
the society into classes as well. In this, the autistic children are specifically disadvantaged in
the employment. The policy change in the The Autism Society can help the disabled people
as it can operate various job training programs which can help the people to place into jobs.
Theory of Elitist: In this, various children and young adults having autistic disorder
generally involve great memory and usually having issues in organizing their thoughts and
accessing as well as integrating the information which they have to make it useful for them.
The theorist generally believes that a person who form an elite can select a group of people
generally perceived as containing some intrinsic qualities, great intellect, power, the special
skills and many more are generally more likely to be constructive towards the community as
a whole and however can deserves impact or higher authority.
BRIEF SCANNING OF WORKING BODIES IN POLICY AREA AND CHANGES
TO POLICY
In context with The Autism Society agency as a front-line case worker, it is quite
essential for the people who are having autism to provide support in their activities such as
communicating with other people, their daily living activities, can interacting with other
people and so on. There is crucial need to alter or modify some of the active policies within
the agency in order to meet the needs as well as effectively support the autistic children and
young adults as well. In this, at an individual level, the autism disorder can primarily make

impact over the way people can communicate both verbally as well as non-verbally,
specifically trying to understand the social world as well as can make interactions with other
people. these such things can frequently make these particular things more confusing as well
as difficult for the autistic people in order to communicate as well as scan relate socially
within the society which is not generally designed for the autistic social styles. The autism
can also make influence over the sensitivity to the sensory input of a person, so that the
surrounding environment can be overwhelming as well as information processing can be
quite challenging as well. During the COVID times, the physical well-being of the autistic
people can mainly more concern about their enhanced likelihood towards the infection itself,
generally provided the elevated rates of the autistic individuals being immunocompromised
or having various other medical conditions. In this, having low mood and anxiety can be
further exacerbated by the uncertainty of the outbreak of COVID as well as by the extra
isolation experienced during the pandemic times (Althaus, Bridgman and Davis, 2007 and
2013).
DEFINING PEAK BODIES AND MENTIONING PEAK BODIES ROLE WITHIN
POLICY CHANGE
In the post-secondary education disability settings, there are various national
organizations which as a healthcare professional a person can interested in. In this, every
discussed can hold either annual or biannual conference, give an ongoing professional
development chances, can manages the list serve as well as a lobby on the behalf of settings.
The bodies can offer a strong voice for the communities within the areas of lobbying
government, community education as well as the information sharing among the group
members.
JUSTIFICATION
The diffusion of policies can play an essential role in the spread of the effective
policies and is however an essential component to consider in the analysis of autism
insurance authorization. The autism among children can develops from a combination of
genetic and non-genetic, or an environmental impacts. These such influences mainly appears
to enhance the risk that a child will improves autism.
ASPECTS OF POLICY AND PLAN FOR POLICY CHANGE
In context with The Autism Society within Western Australia, the agency generally
involves the CCD (Consortium for Citizens with Disability) is generally pleased to present

the policy which mainly outlines the requirements of the people having disabilities and their
families as well. In this, the Consortium for Citizens with Disability is generally the largest
coalition of the national organizations they are actually can working together in order to
advocate for the policy which can ensures the self-determination, empowerment,
independence, integration as well as the inclusion of both children and adults having
disabilities in every aspect within the community. There is need to update or modify the pre-
existed policies within an agency so that it can effectively empower as well as support both
children and adults with autism disability across community. During the Outbreak times, the
virus has significantly exacerbated the issue mainly influencing the people having disabilities,
specifically those people who are of colour. The outbreak of infection has generally influence
the policy region under the purview of nearly every CCD task forces. From reduced access
towards the public transportation, to restricted services for the school going children with
having specific disabilities, to concern about the well-being care rationing as well as the
spread of the contamination within people living in the institutions, no area has generally
gone unaffected. In this, specific alterations which seeks to address the critical problems of
the people as well as their families are facing as the nation continues to grapple with the
effects of an outbreak.
INITIAL PLANNINGS FOR POLICY CHANGE
The plan can specifically addresses all the aspects of living with autism spectrum
disorder consisting an awareness, diagnosis as well as assessment. An educational programs
and other effective interventions as well as care services which can provide encouragement
for a person and their families.
WORKING WITH APPROPRIATE SECTOR WITH CAMPAIGNING
The campaigns are generally a digital awareness in which the slogans can effectively
illustrates the mission such as celebrating the differences. The campaigns are generally
targeted at re-educating the public about what an autism community does to aid a person and
their families who are having autism as a disorder.
STRATEGIES AND ACTION SUITABLE FOR AGENCY AND POLICY CHANGE
 Enhancing understandings as well as acceptance of autism among communities.
 Enhancing autistic children as well as young people's access towards education and
empower positive transitions into an adulthood.
 Empowering more autistic people into employment.

TARGETING INDIVIDUAL, GROUPS, ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLIC
OFFICIALS FOR PLANNING OF POLICY ADVOCACY
The main subject of developing the report is to advocate the effective policies which
can directly link to the person having the disorder consisting research on the autism spectrum
disorders; the family empowerment; the primary prevention as well as the prevention of
abuse and a neglect of the children and adults with having the specific disabilities of autism.
In addition to this, it can involve, but not restricted to, the Developmental Disabilities Act;
The Lifespan Respite Care Act; Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Care Act and many
more (Considine, 1994).
Autism Spectrum Disorder: In this, the prevention of the autism spectrum disorder
within children and young adults, generally defined the rates of the known cases within the
community has generally been enhanced from 2 to 4%. In this, there is much more required
to be done in order to encourage the people having Autism Spectrum Disorder within a
community consisting the early interventions, transitions, education, vocational rehabilitation,
the transportation programs and employment as well.
The Family Caregiver encouragement: In this, there is a huge majority of the people
having disabilities generally live at home with their family caregivers. Unfortunately, these
such caregivers frequently receive few of the care services as well as can lose the occupation
and income also as they try to encourage their loved ones across community. In addition to
this, the counselling can effectively empower the groups, respite the trainings, family as well
as medical leaves and the specific referral activities that can effectively empowers the care
givers in order to aid their family members can live within their homes instead of in costly as
well as an unwanted institution (Howlett, 2011).
The Primary Prevention: The disabilities can frequently be prevented or overcome via
the prenatal well-being care, can restricting the prenatal exposure to consumption of alcohol
as well as the various environmental toxic chemicals. In addition to this, it can also involve a
prior childhood intervention in order to reduce the prevalence of disorders among them. In
this, the Medicaid is specifically a primary essential programs in order to ensure the healthy
birth results via its prenatal care benefits as well as for providing the prior interventions
though an early and a periodic screening diagnostic and care treatment services.
The Child Abuse Prevention: In this case, the abuse of child can cause or can
exacerbate the disabilities as well as the children with disorders are generally at higher risk
for the abuse. And to overcome this abuse, there is CAPTA (The Child Abuse Prevention and
Treatment Act) is specifically one of the key legislation that can efficiently guide the child

protection as well as can provide a care services and policies to prevent the maltreatment as
well as can avoid costlier foster care placements as well (Kingdon, 2003). In order to change
the policy within agency, it can significantly target the age group such as 1 year to 30-years
age within organization and community as well.
The concept of providing education to those people who generally involve disabilities
are quite crucial. In this, the task of education can advocate for improved chances for the
children who involve autism spectrum illness during the covid times. The Consortium for
Citizens with Disability within the agency can generally urges to furnish some additional
reliefs towards the families, groups, educational institutions and communities as well. The
special education can be provided to the children with disabilities such that they can receive a
free appropriate public education. These such are specifically designed to meet the needs as
well as can efficiently prepare them for the further employment, education as well as can
make the children to live independently. The agency can work on to provide a safe as well as
a supportive surrounding environment in which the children can able to learn effectively, can
be free from ineffective and a harsh discipline practices. The agency can help to produce a
partnership among the education, mental well-being, the juvenile justice, social wellness, the
encourage trauma informed practices as well as the community engagement systems as well
(Maddison and Denniss R, 2013).
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion, it is concluded that there is need to improve the existing
policies within the agency named The Autism Society within Western Australia for the
children and young adults who are having autism spectrum disorder. It is identified that
during the COVID times, the children having specific disabilities can suffer from various
issues such as not able to receive effective education and many more. To overcome all such
effects, the agency has altered the existing policies and made it so effective so that it can
benefits the children and young adults as well.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Althaus, C. Bridgman, P. and Davis G. (2007 and 2013) The Australian Policy Handbook 4th
and 5th Edition. <https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003117940>
Åsa Knaggard. (2015). Multiple Streams Framework and the problem broker. European
Journal of Political Research (54). 450–465. <https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-
6765.12097>
Considine, M., (1994) Public Policy: A Critical Approach MacMillan, Melbourne.
<10.4236/ce.2012.37178>
Howlett, M., (2011) Designing Public Policies, Principles and Instruments Routledge
London. <https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315232003>
Kingdon, J., (2003). Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies Second Edition Boston:
Longman. <10.4236/sm.2015.53014>
Maddison, S., and Denniss R., (2013) An Introduction to Australian Public Policy.
Cambridge Books Online.(particularly Chapters 4 and 5) <
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139168656>
Marston G. & McClelland, A. (2014 or 2020). Chapter 3 A Framework for Understanding,
Advocacy and Action, in McClelland et al Social Policy in Australia, Understanding
for Action Ebook. <https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8500.2007.00533_6.x>