My Department established a task force on autism in October 2000 to draw up proposals for the future development of services for children with autism. The report of the task force on autism is lengthy and complex. It contains approximately 180 individual recommendations ranging from measures aimed at identifying prevalence rates, through issues relating to diagnosis and assessment, the centrality of the role of parents, the required models of education and health care services, the need for specialist training for those involved in service provision, to structural, constitutional and policy issues.
The scope of the task force's recommendations is such as to require a multi-faceted response. My Department's key focus to-date has been on progressing the fundamental structural and legislative measures which are necessary to underpin the development of services for persons with autism in line with the task force's recommendations.
A key development on the structural front has been the Government's decision to approve the establishment of the national council for special education. The national council, which will have a local area presence, will play a key role in the development and delivery of services for persons with special needs, including persons with autism. It will also have a research and advisory role and will establish expert groups to address particular areas of special needs provision. It will also establish a consultative forum to facilitate inputs from the education partners and other interested parties. Arrangements for the establishment of the council are now well advanced. I expect that a chief executive will be appointed to the council shortly and that the council will be vested and operational by the end of March 2003.