National Autism Strategy Oversight Council

The National Autism Strategy Oversight Council guided the development of the National Autism Strategy.

Role

The Oversight Council guided the development of the National Autism Strategy. The roles and responsibilities of the Oversight Council members have now concluded.

The Oversight Council oversaw the co-design work of 4 working groups to develop and implement the National Autism Strategy.

Membership

Membership was announced in May 2023.

The Oversight Council included 8 autistic community and sector members and 2 research and professional sector members. Council members helped ensure the National Autism Strategy was grounded in evidence and informed by the experiences of autistic people. The make-up of the council included:

  • an autistic co-chair
  • a majority of members from the Autistic community
  • sector representatives
  • researchers
  • senior officials from relevant Australian Government departments.

Council members were selected through an open expression of interest (EOI) process, which closed in March 2023. The Hon Amanda Rishworth MP made the final selection from a shortlist. The EOI was conducted by Disability Representative Organisations and Autism CRC who sought nominations from the autistic community and sector, and research and professional sector.

The council and each working group were co-chaired by senior government official and an autistic community and sector member.

The working groups comprised approximately 70 members representing diverse intersectionality ensuring the inclusion of the diverse autistic community. 

NameRoleBackground
Mrs Clare GibelliniCo-chairAutistic co-chair
Mr Luke MansfieldCo-chairDepartment of Social Services
Associate Professor Josephine BarbaroMemberResearch and professional and Autistic community sector member
Renay Barker-MulhollandMemberAutistic community and sector member
Mrs Victoria GottliebsenMemberResearch and professional sector member and Autistic community sector member
Ms Jenny KaravolosMemberAutistic community and sector member
Mr Sebastian Langdon-MacmillanMemberAutistic community and sector member
Ms Heidi La Paglia ReidMemberAutistic community and sector member
Mr Andrew PfeifferMemberAutistic community and sector member
Andrew ShimMemberAutistic community and sector member
Charl FourieMemberAutistic community and sector member
Ms Samantha TaylorMemberNational Disability Insurance Agency
Ms Amber ShuytaMemberDepartment of Health, Disability and Ageing
Mr Cain BeckettMemberDepartment of Education
Ms Greta DohertyMemberDepartment of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Ms Nadine GroneyMemberDepartment of Employment and Workplace Relations

Meetings

The first meeting of the council was convened on 2 May 2023 and the last meeting was held on 14 August 2024.

More information

National Autism Strategy

The National Autism Strategy 2025–2031 will provide a national approach to services and supports for autistic people and their families.
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