The ACT Greens have announced plans to establish a Neurodiversity Centre offering free support for neurodiverse people, including those with autism and ADHD, if re-elected. 

The Neurodiversity Centre would provide free services and support such as assessment and diagnosis for people of all ages; early intervention allied health supports such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, and counselling, with or without a diagnosis; space for peer groups to meet; improved access to GP, psychology, and psychiatry services; and information and resources for neurodiverse people, including autism and ADHD, their families and friends, carers, educators from early childhood through to tertiary education, and employers.

The Centre’s physical design and service model would be co-designed with input from neurodiverse people, carers, healthcare professionals, educators of neurodiverse students, academic researchers, and community advocates. It would be a fit-for-purpose building, easily accessible by bus or light rail.

The ACT Greens estimate it would cost $15 million to establish the Centre, and $5 million per year for staff such as psychiatrists, psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, counsellors and peer workers.

Emma Davidson, ACT Greens spokesperson on disability, said many people waited a long time for diagnoses and support, and that services had to be accessible.

“The ACT Greens want every Canberran to live a full and happy life, which means ensuring that everyone has access to the support and services they need,” Ms Davidson said.

“However, we know that most people who are neurodiverse are waiting months, if not years, to get a diagnosis and the support they need to live their lives to the fullest.

“This can be particularly challenging for parents and carers who are left feeling isolated and helpless as they are trying to navigate this new and complex space with their child.

“That’s why the ACT Greens want to establish a dedicated centre that provides free information and support for people with autism and ADHD, and their families.

“The Neurodiversity Centre will take a strengths-based approach – celebrating and supporting the beautiful diversity of how our minds and bodies work. It will also look at the community around the individual and provide support to their family, friends and workplaces in order to better understand neurodivergence.

“At the moment, our systems of support for health care, education, employment, and social connections are built around neurotypical assumptions. Many people living in the ACT are neurodiverse, or know someone who is neurodiverse, yet our systems don’t support them and only change once someone has a diagnosis.

“This means people go without the right support to excel in their lives, or may be adults before they connect with the right supports for their needs. We also know that there are many neurodivergent people who may not need or choose to go down the diagnosis pathway, who would still benefit from support.

“Our Neurodiversity Centre is a first in Australia and will provide a range of support for people when they ask for it – not only after they have a diagnosis.”

ACT Greens MLA Laura Nuttall shared her challenges in obtaining an ADHD diagnosis, underscoring the need for such a facility and the importance of immediate support.

“This would have been an absolute game changer for me when I was pursuing an ADHD diagnosis,” Miss Nuttall said.

“Getting support for ADHD is such an involved and often discouraging, exhausting process.

“We’re at a point where you can’t really get much support from allied health professionals before an official diagnosis, and for many people an official diagnosis is cost-prohibitive, takes ages, and is ironically hugely taxing on your executive function. That doesn’t help when chances are, the reason you’re seeking help is because you need help right now.

“I realised I probably had ADHD a couple of years back when it started to interfere with my work, study and life. At the time I was under rental duress, but because I really did need the help, I went through the months of waiting, forked out roughly $600, and had some personally challenging discussions to be told that I did in fact have ADHD and could finally start getting help. 

“This system we’re proposing, that provides support before you even need to go through the diagnosis process, means people get help straight away, and I’m so excited that the Greens would make that happen in the ACT.” 

Ms Davidson said that changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme for psychosocial support meant that more people would be left without the basic services they needed to live a good life. 

“The ACT Greens plan will help people access support sooner, without diagnosis, and address future needs that arise from NDIS reforms and the Disability Royal Commission recommendations,” Ms Davidson said. 

The Neurodiversity Centre is part of the ACT Greens’ commitment to delivering innovative health services across Canberra that support the person as a whole, rather than just their medical diagnosis.

ACT Labor response

ACT Labor health spokeswoman Rachel Stephen-Smith said: “We have heard clearly from people with lived experience of neurodiversity about the challenges in accessing services and support. That is why we are committed to developing an ACT Neurodiversity Strategy, investing more in health services, and working with the Commonwealth Government to deliver a strong foundational supports system, which will provide more support and services for neurodiverse people.

“ACT Labor is making record investments in the public health system. We are focused on delivering an integrated health network where Canberrans can access the right care, in the right place and at the right time. Across the ACT, we have – and are building more – community-based health centres and facilities that would be able to accommodate more services in an appropriate and supportive environment. This may be a more appropriate way to provide consumers with access to services and wrap around support closer to home.

“ACT Labor has a proven track record in delivering infrastructure projects and services for Canberra. On the details provided in the press release, it’s unclear how the ACT Greens have costed this proposal, but it appears significantly under-costed for the extent of services described.

“ACT Labor will always invest in free, accessible and inclusive healthcare for Canberrans. We will have more to say about our health election commitments over the coming months.”