Submission
No 153
INQUIRY INTO SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM
DISORDER
Name: Dr Anthony Engwirda
Date Received: 2 March 2017
Submission S153 Received 02/03/2017Parliament of Victoria, Committee on Autism Services
fcdc@parliament.vic.gov.au Family and Community Development Committee
I was born on the Autistic spectrum, which is like being born not just on an alien planet, but within an alien civilization. The sun is too bright, wind too strong and cold, noise ear shattering, food inedible, stench unbearable, clothing like sandpaper and the aliens, how do I even begin to describe them? I would love to call the mothership and get off this rock, but there is no mothership and I am a prisoner of these crazy humans until I die. Welcome to autism.
As a person on the spectrum, I am neither wanted nor needed by society. At best I am
considered as a burden. At worst, slow, lazy and stupid. There is no career and no job offer than does not involve a mop and a bucket. I am told it is just until something better comes along, but for us, nothing better ever comes along. I am too disabled to hold down a job and
not disabled enough to receive Government support. And so I struggle with clinical
depression and near constant thoughts of suicide.
I have tried to change my circumstances through training and education. Even though I did
not complete high school, I have attended University. I have a degree in Information
Technology with a triple major in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science and Software
Engineering. I also have a Graduate Diploma in Education with teaching areas in
Mathematics and Computers. And I have a Ph.D. in robotics having been an invited guest of NASA of several occasions. By now you realize that I am neither lazy nor stupid, but slow is probably a fair call. I move as fast as I can with my substandard motor and fine motor skills, but no amount of practice will improve my performance to a sufficient level.
People with autism have many talents, abilities and passions. We would like to have lives that are just as productive and meaningful as the rest of society. What we want is the same as anyone else. We don’t want to be exiled to the periphery of society and treated as outcasts. We desire to be included in the same way that you accept the diversity of different races, cultures and religions. We know that we are not the same as you, but that does not mean that we are broken, just different.
As representatives of the Government of Victoria you are entrusted to improve the quality and quantity of all lives under your care. Let me then, ask you to do something practical. Many adults in Victoria struggle with the debilitation of undiagnosed autism. We call it the first hurdle. They have to see a Doctor, who sends them to a Psychologist, who sends them to an Autism Specialist, who charges them $1,000.00 for the test. The very best private medical insurance will only cover part of that cost. Given low paid jobs and poor work history, most autistics struggle to pay that. I have no idea why the test is that expensive. Maybe there is something you can do to assist?
Kindest regards Dr. Anthony Engwirda (Ph.D., Grad.Dip.Ed., B.Inf.Tech)
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