Source: The Melbourne Age [Letters to the Editor]

Autism is life-long
IF LABOR and Mal Brough thought it was a bit tough being roughed up by carers, then step into my family's shoes! Our son, aged 13, is autistic and on medication for anxiety and depression. A lack of knowledge of autism in health and education sectors produced a diagnosis at 10.

We funded his diagnosis; we research, design and implement ad hoc therapy programs and perform the specialised work of occupational, speech and behaviour therapists. There are limited programs for children older than six, let alone those older than 10. We understand the importance of early intervention.

We will see no benefit from the two major parties' policies on autism regardless of the election result. Our son is not a pre-schooler. Are Labor and the Coalition suggesting we enrol him in their proposed autism programs to play catch up with three to six-year-olds?

Wake up policymakers! Autism, like most disabilities, is life-long. Our son has complex needs. He no longer attends school; for safety reasons we have been forced to home-school him. Minister, this is not something we've chosen to do.

The proposed funding package of both major parties gives me no hope for now or the future. That is something that is truly rough!

Lisa Thomas, Highett

What a "choice"
MINISTER Mal Brough's comment (The Age, 31/10), that carers "choose" to care for their disabled kin is stated in sheer ignorance of the facts. To "choose" clearly gives the impression that one has alternatives available. This, as the minister knows, is not the case.

As secretary of Frankston/Peninsula Carers Inc, I can assure your readers that our members, each of whom cares for a family member with varying degrees of intellectual and physical disability, does so as a course of must and love. These are the people who forgo their own future retirement, their health, financial stability and the way of life that others take for granted. There are no choices, there are no alternatives.

Unpaid caring labour by more than 2 million Australian carers has saved the Government billions of dollars over the years. Band-Aid solutions to rectify critical situations as they arise does not provide a solution for the long term.

Karl Hell, Crib Point