Email thread 1
From:
To:
Out of scope
Cc:
Subject:
RE: In confidence: Draft Cabinet paper - lowering the voting age for local elections - for feedback by 19
May
Date:
Tuesday, 23 May 2023 8:32:04 am
Thanks Out of scope.
The Bill does extend the current obligation under s86E of the Electoral Act to communicating
with youth offenders, and I have added a note on that to the Cabinet paper. However, I
acknowledge that this provision is very high level and just uses the language of “in a way that the
prisoner/youth offender can reasonably be expected to understand”.
I have added this paragraph to the human rights section of the paper. Let me know if you have
any comments.
1
The Bill’s reliance on the existing Electoral Act enrolment provisions means it has
some shortcomings in terms of New Zealand’s obligations under the United Nations
Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Whaikaha – Ministry of
Disabled People have highlighted, for example, the need to update the legislation
to reflect the current understandings of disability and supported decision-making,
and to explicitly include accessible formats in approved electronic formats. These
are issues that should be considered in the future through a combination of
legislative change (following the independent electoral review) and operational
policy improvements.
Ngā mihi
Out of scope
Kaitātari Kaupapahere Mātāmua (Principal Policy Analyst)
Ue te Hīnātore (Local Government Branch) |Te Tari Taiwhenua (The Department of Internal
Affairs)
Out of scope
From: Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz>
Sent: Friday, 19 May 2023 5:45 pm
To: Out of scope
@dia.govt.nz>
Cc: Out of scope
Subject: In confidence: Draft Cabinet paper - lowering the voting age for local elections - for
feedback by 19 May
Kia ora Out of scope
Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People welcomes the opportunity to
provide feedback on the Cabinet Social Wellbeing Committee paper:
Electoral (Lowering Voting Age for Local Elections and Polls) Legislation
Bill: cross-party consultation draft and additional policy approvals.
We have previously provided feedback on the Draft for Consultation -
Electoral (Lowering Voting Age for Local Elections and Polls) Legislation
Bill (2 May) in which we noted future opportunities to update the Act to
reflect current language used to describe disability, alternative formats,
and the current understanding of supported decision making (SDM).
Enrolment and disqualification for juvenile offenders
(paragraphs 20-21)
We support the expansion of responsible persons to facilitate the
enrolment of juvenile offenders to include the Chief Executive of Oranga
Tamarki as this goes some way to ensuring that the rights of the these
individuals is protected across different settings.
The provisions for enrolment of youth offenders could be further
enhanced by ensuring that the person being enrolled will have the
enrolment or voting process explained to them in a way that aids their
understanding or import of either process. This could be achieved
through promoting the use of SDM (refer to our advice from 2 May) and
other mana-enhancing approaches.
Ensuring that additional steps are taken to ensure youth offenders have
the opportunity to be actively involved in these processes is a partial
acknowledgement that ‘many young offenders will have some form of
neurodisability such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Foetal Alcohol
Spectrum Disorder (FASD), Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), speech and communication
disorders, a specific learning disability (eg dyslexia), or often, a
combination of these. Some will also have a neuropsychological
disorder, particularly conduct disorder’ (The Youth Courts in Ten Years
Time p. 4).
Any opportunity to engage young people in the mechanics of civil
society should be welcomed. Explaining the process to this group would
also support the principles of SDM and support New Zealand’s
obligations under Article 29 of the United Nations Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
We would suggest making it explicit that the person enrolling
the youth offender, or their agent, explain the enrolment and
voting process in a way that is clear and accessable to the
person being enrolled.
This could be achieved by adding a paragraph to this section, the rights
section, or the population section that says: When facilitating the
enrolment of juvenile offenders it is the responsibility of the prison
manager, or the Chief Executive of Oranga Tamariki to ensure that the
process is equitable by explaining the enrolment and voting process the
individual being enrolled in a way that is accessable to that individual.
Population implications (paragraphs 47-48)
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
raised concerns about the overrepresentation of persons with
disabilities in the care and protection, youth justice, and prison
populations. We would suggest that the Department of Internal Affairs
consider the possible population implications for these groups where
their enrolment to vote, and an accessable explination of the process
for both, is better protected in policy. There are a number of studies
and sources documenting disabled youth experiences of the justice
system to call on, including:
Neurodisabilities-Forum-2016-Report-1.pdf
(neurodisabilitiesforum.org.nz) ;
Access to Justice | Donald Beasley
Championing neuro-informed practice in the corrections system:
Supporting neuro-informed practice | Department of Corrections
Human Rights
In developing the Human Rights section of this paper Whaikaha
recommends considering the impact of this Bill’s provisions on
enhancing disabled youths’ rights in relation to the relevant articles of
the UNCRPD, in particular Articles 12.4 – Equal Recognition Before the
Law, and
29.a.i – Participation in Political and Public Life.
Consultation
Please use the full Ministry title, Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People
in the consultation section of the paper.
Ngā mihi
ENDS____________________________________
Out of scope
Senior Advisor (he,him)
Office for Disability Issues | Te Tari Mō Ngā Take Hauātanga
Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People I Aurora Centre, 56 The Terrace I PO Box 1556,
Wellington 6140
Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz
ODI: http://www.odi.govt.nz | https://www.facebook.com/nzofficefordisabilityissues
|@NZ_ODI
From: ODI (WHAIKAHA) <
[email address]>
Sent: Monday, 15 May 2023 2:27 pm
To: Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz>
Cc: ODI (WHAIKAHA) <[email address]>
Subject: TASKING : In confidence: Draft Cabinet paper - lowering the voting age for local
elections - for feedback by 19 May
Hi Out of scope
This is related to a recent task of yours (id 1927)
Draft Cabinet Paper - Lowering the voting age for local elections
Ngā mihi
Out of scope @ ODI Inbox
From: Out of scope
@dia.govt.nz>
Sent: Monday, 15 May 2023 1:57 pm
To: 'Out of scope
Cc: Out of scope
Subject: In confidence: Draft Cabinet paper - lowering the voting age for local elections - for
feedback by 19 May
Kia ora koutou
Draft paper attached for feedback this week
Following on from the draft Bill we sent around last month, please find attached a draft Cabinet
paper which:
seeks approval to a small number of policy decisions, including a later implementation
date
seeks agreement to start cross-party consultation on the draft Bill
notes costing risks.
Could you please provide any feedback on this draft paper by
cop Friday 19 May?
There may be late revision of this paper next week
This week the Cabinet Social Wellbeing Committee will be considering a paper on the age limits
in the Bill for standing as a candidate and for voting in alcohol licensing trust elections (currently
both of these ages are to remain at 18). If there are any changes to the previous policy decisions
on these ages it is likely we will need to send out a revised version of this paper next week, with
a very short turnaround time for departmental comment. Because of the tight timeframes we
are sending this draft now to provide more time for departmental comment on the rest of the
paper.
Timeframes
Current timeframes for the Bill are:
25 May 2023 – draft of this Cabinet paper provided to the joint Ministers
29 May–9 June 2023 – Ministerial consultation on this paper
21 June 2023 – this paper considered by SWC
27 July 2023 – LEG committee approval for introduction
2 August 2023 – Bill introduced
2024 – select committee consideration
TBC - enactment
Between 1 March 2027 and 1 March 2028 - commencement
Please get in touch if you have any questions.
Ngā mihi
Out of scope
| Kaitātari Kaupapahere Mātāmua (Principal Policy Analyst)
Ue te Hīnātore (Local Government Branch) |Te Tari Taiwhenua (The Department of Internal
Affairs)
Out of scope
From: Out of scope
Sent: Thursday, 20 April 2023 2:55 pm
To: Out of scope
Cc: Out of scope
Subject: In confidence: Draft Bill - lowering the voting age for local elections - for feedback by 2
May
Kia ora koutou
Out of scope at the Ministry of Justice has previously been in touch with you about legislation to
lower the voting age. In March, the Government announced a change of focus and the intention
now is to introduce legislation, before the House rises, that will lower the voting age to 16 for
local elections only.
Please find attached a draft Bill to lower the voting age for local elections. This is still very much a
working draft, however, we think it is in an advanced enough state to seek your feedback. We
are seeking your comments, if any, by
Tuesday 2 May.
One note about the drafting approach - Clause 5, in Part 1 of the Bill inserts a new Part 1B in the
Local Electoral Act. The purpose of this Part 1B is to replicate the enrolment provisions of the
Electoral Act 1993 in the Local Electoral Act 2001, with a number of modifications. This will
create a new concept of “youth electors” and a “youth electoral roll” for the purposes of local
elections, but enrolment processes will still be managed by the Electoral Commission.
The current proposed timeline for the Bill is:
21 June 2023 – Cabinet committee considers the draft Bill and agrees to start cross-party
consultation
3 August 2023 – LEG committee approval for introduction
15 August – Bill introduced
2024 – select committee consideration
TBC - enactment
Between 1 January 2026 and 1 March 2028 - commencement
[Please note that the shift to commencement after 2025 is yet to be confirmed by Cabinet].
Please get in touch by phone or email if you have any questions about the Bill as you are
reviewing it.
If you are not the right contact for your department could you please let me know so we can
update our mailing list?
Ngā mihi
Out of scope
| Kaitātari Kaupapahere Mātāmua (Principal Policy Analyst)
Ue te Hīnātore (Local Government Branch) |Te Tari Taiwhenua (The Department of Internal
Affairs)
Out of scope
"This email is confidential and may contain information that is subject to legal privilege. If
it is not intended for you please do not read, distribute or copy it or any attachments.
Please notify the sender by return email and delete the original message and any
attachments. Any views expressed in this email may be those of the individual sender and
may not necessarily reflect the views of the Ministry."
Email thread 2
From:
Out of scope
To:
Out of scope
Subject:
RE: Physical Restraint Guidelines
Date:
Wednesday, 24 May 2023 2:46:07 pm
Attachments:
image001.png
image002.png
Thanks Out of scope
Regards
Out of scope
Ngā Mihi
Out of scope
Have you seen these tools and resources?
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)
The New Zealand Sign Language Strategy and NZSL Board
The Ministry for Social Development’s Lead Toolkit
The New Zealand Disability Strategy
Our Disability Data collection
Disability Toolkit for Policy
The Accessibility Charter
Out of scope
Senior Advisor, Policy, Strategy and Partnership.
Whaikaha I Ministry of Disabled People I Aurora Centre, 56 The Terrace I PO Box 1556,
Wellington 6140
Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz
ODI: http://www.odi.govt.nz | https://www.facebook.com/nzofficefordisabilityissues |
@NZ_ODI
Whaikaha: http://www.Whaikaha.govt.nz
GIF image for the logo and email signature banner of the Ministry
[Please update your records with my email address & number! ]
From: Out of scope
@auckland.ac.nz>
Sent: Wednesday, 24 May 2023 2:29 pm
To: Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz>
Subject: RE: Physical Restraint Guidelines
Kia Ora Out of scope
Thanks for sending through your thoughts below. That’s an important point you have
made re understanding the conditions of particular children. We are collating the
feedback from attendees and I will include your notes below.
Kind regards
Out of scope
From: Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz>
Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2023 1:58 PM
To: Out of scope
@auckland.ac.nz>
Subject: Physical Restraint Guidelines
Kia Ora Out of scope
That was fortuitous, I just got an E mail from Out of scopeafter having another look
at the module content document from last week.
I think the only thing that I would say is that the one area this doesn’t cover
is any information about child behaviour and specifically the behaviour of
someone with Autism or ADHD etc. Often children with these conditions
‘explode’ with frustration because something has triggered their behaviour
and no one has responded to those earlier signs. Alternatively, the
something the young person has done or said has been misinterpreted as
rude, aggressive, naughty, when that was never the intention and they get
punished for this, again causing what appears to the outsider as a huge
overreaction.
I think that without some understanding of some of the conditions that
children have who are likely to be physically restrained, then it will make the
attempt to stop using physical restraint much harder.
You may want to include learning like this as a ‘separate but related’ training
session. However, I think it’s really important that in order to lessen
instances of physical restraint, people need to understand why some of our
children respond the way they do and what is or isn’t meant by that
behaviour.
Kind regards
Out of scope
Ngā Mihi
Out of scope
Have you seen these tools and resources?
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)
The New Zealand Sign Language Strategy and NZSL Board
The Ministry for Social Development’s Lead Toolkit
The New Zealand Disability Strategy
Our Disability Data collection
Disability Toolkit for Policy
The Accessibility Charter
Out of scope
Senior Advisor, Policy, Strategy and Partnership.
Whaikaha I Ministry of Disabled People I Aurora Centre, 56 The Terrace I PO Box 1556,
Wellington 6140
Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz
ODI: http://www.odi.govt.nz | https://www.facebook.com/nzofficefordisabilityissues |
@NZ_ODI
Whaikaha: http://www.Whaikaha.govt.nz
GIF image for the logo and email signature banner of the Ministry
[Please update your records with my email address & number! ]
"This email is confidential and may contain information that is subject to legal privilege. If
it is not intended for you please do not read, distribute or copy it or any attachments.
Please notify the sender by return email and delete the original message and any
attachments. Any views expressed in this email may be those of the individual sender and
may not necessarily reflect the views of the Ministry."
Email thread 3
From:
To:
Out of scope
Cc:
Subject:
RE: MEDIA QUERY, STUFF: How many neurodivergent + affordability of ADHD diagnosis
Date:
Thursday, 27 July 2023 7:27:38 pm
Attachments:
image001.png
image002.png
image003.png
image004.png
image005.png
IN-CONFIDENCE
In addition Whaikaha funds child development services that provide
diagnoses for children and young people.
From: Out of scope
@msd.govt.nz>
Sent: Thursday, 27 July 2023 3:59 PM
To: Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz>; Out of scope
@msd.govt.nz>; Out of scope
Cc: Out of scope
Subject: RE: MEDIA QUERY, STUFF: How many neurodivergent + affordability of ADHD diagnosis
IN-CONFIDENCE
Kia ora Out of scope the response to the journalist was sent earlier I’m afraid, based on advice we
received earlier. See email in trail at 2.13pm
The reporter’s deadline has passed.
From: Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz>
Sent: Thursday, 27 July 2023 3:55 PM
To: Out of scope
Cc: Out of scope
Subject: RE: MEDIA QUERY, STUFF: How many neurodivergent + affordability of ADHD diagnosis
IN-CONFIDENCE
Kia ora
I have provided below some information that may be helpful to the reporter
Nga mihi
Brian
Deadline
3.30pm
Reporter
Out of scope
Stuff
Story
Reporter is writing a story about autism and ADHD, its
prevalence in NZ and the barriers people may face
getting a diagnosis and accessing support.
Query
1. Does Whaikaha have data on the number of
people in Aotearoa who are diagnosed with
neurodiversity?
The word neurodiversity refers to the diversity of all
people, but it is often used in the context of autism
spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as other neurological
or developmental conditions such as ADHD or learning
disabilities.
What is neurodiversity? - Harvard Health
Given that neurodiversity is not diagnosed by
professionals there is no easy way to count or report
on the number of people who are neurodiverse.
2. Specifically does Whaikaha know how many
people have autism and ADHD respectively?
In the question of how many people have autism.
Whaikaha in partnership with the Ministry of
Education publishes the “The Aotearoa New Zealand
Autism Guideline”. The 2022 published Third Edition
reports “
There is no definitive information on the
prevalence and incidence of autism in Aotearoa New
Zealand. However, considering a range of
estimates16, it can be said that, conservatively, about
1–2% of the population are likely to be autistic; that
is, between 50,000 and 100,00 autistic
people/tāngata whaitakiwātanga in Aotearoa New
Zealand”
The Aotearoa New Zealand Autism Guideline: He
Waka Huia Takiwātanga Rau (‘the Guideline’)
describes best practice on how to support autistic
people in New Zealand.
About the Guideline
Newly revised as a third edition in 2022, the Guideline
considers autism (takiwātanga) across the whole of
a person’s life – from early childhood through to
adulthood.
The guideline includes over 300 evidence based
recommendations. These were developed by
clinicians, educators, researchers, and people with
lived experience, and are based on reviews of local
and international research.
Areas covered include: assessment and diagnosis,
support for individuals and families, education,
mental health and wellbeing, living in the community,
professional development, Māori perspectives, and
perspectives of Pacific Peoples.
This Guideline is proudly led by Whaikaha – Ministry
of Disabled People in partnership with the Ministry of
Education. Historically the Guideline was published
by the
Ministry of Health external URL, and earlier
editions and supporting documents can still be
found on their website as a record of evolving
resources. Going forward, the current and new
editions and related resources will be published here,
on the Whaikaha site.
On ADHD – The information below is helpful, it comes
from Manatū Hauora (the Ministry of Health) and was
published as a response to an Official Information Act
request in Febryar 2023. The link is included to the
full OIA response is h2023019935_response.pdf
(health.govt.nz)
The most relevant information in the published OIA
reads:
“
How many people are diagnosed in NZ with ADHD
during 2020, 2021 and 2022? And how many of those
people are Māori? Manatū Hauora does not hold
complete diagnosis data for ADHD in New Zealand. As
such, this part of your request is refused under 18(g)
of the Act. The Programme for the Integration of
Mental Health Data (PRIMHD) contains data for a
subset of people diagnosed with ADHD who are seen
in publicly funded specialist mental health and
addiction services. PRIMHD does not have details for
those seen only in primary or private health services.
There is a lack of up-to-date epidemiological data on
the prevalence of ADHD in New Zealand. This can
make it challenging to understand the level of need
for support for ADHD in New Zealand. Evidence
suggests that the prevalence of ADHD in children and
adolescents internationally is 5–8% and in Australia is
between 6–10%. Data from the New Zealand Health
Survey shows that the number of children aged 2 to
14 years whose parents report a diagnosis of ADHD
fluctuates between 1.5% and 3% yearly. The New
Zealand Health Survey does not collect data on young
people and adults 15 years and over who are
diagnosed with ADHD. Please refer to Appendix 1 for
further information. 4. What research has been
conducted about diagnoses in children under the age
of 5
3.
Is anything being done at Whaikaha to
increase access to and the affordability of
getting a diagnosis for ADHD and autism?
Whaikaha is not considering funding the costs of
diagnosis of ADHD and/or Autism. Whaikaha funded
disability support services are available for disabled
people who require ongoing support to live
independently. Funding is also available for
equipment and devices to assist people to live
independently. Diagnosis services are not funded by
Whaikaha.
Ministry funded disability support services are
available to people who have a physical, intellectual
or sensory disability (or a combination of these)
which:
is likely to continue for at least six months
needs ongoing support to live independently, to
the extent that ongoing support is required.
These services are mainly for people under the age
of 65 years.
The Ministry will also fund disability support services
for people with:
some neurological conditions that result in
permanent disabilities
some developmental disabilities in children and
young people, such as Autism
physical, intellectual or sensory disability that
co-exists with a health condition and/or injury.
Business lead for
query/QA/fact
checker
Response
Please advise
This reply addresses the information you requested.
You have the right to ask the Ombudsman to
investigate and review our response.
In the event a request for some or all of your request
for information has been declined, please click here
for more information about the reason why. Please
also note that requests for comment are not requests
under the OIA.
Notes – for
internal use only
From: Out of scope
@msd.govt.nz>
Sent: Thursday, 27 July 2023 2:13 PM
To: Out of scope
Cc: Out of scope
Subject: RE: MEDIA QUERY, STUFF: How many neurodivergent + affordability of ADHD diagnosis
IN-CONFIDENCE
Cheers Out of scopethat’s really helpful. I’ll let the reporter know.
I’ll refer them to Stats NZ for Q1 and Q2.
Out of scope
Senior Advisor, Media
Out of scope
[email address] | www.msd.govt.nz
Ministry of Social Development, Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora
Aurora Centre, 56-66 The Terrace, PO Box 1556, Wellington 6140
From: ODI (WHAIKAHA) <
[email address]>
Sent: Thursday, 27 July 2023 2:07 PM
To: Out of scope
Cc: Out of scope
Subject: RE: MEDIA QUERY, STUFF: How many neurodivergent + affordability of ADHD diagnosis
IN-CONFIDENCE
Hi All,
Just weighing in here, since I’m on inbox and looking at this. I don’t believe
that the assessment and diagnosis of neurological conditions such as Autism
or ADHD sit with Whaikaha. I think the diagnosis sits with health and so I’m
not sure that it is within Whaikaha’s remit to do anything about this. What
happens to people after diagnosis in terms of access to DSS is a Whaikaha
responsibility, at least in part.
Regards
Out of scope
Ngā Mihi
Out of scope
Have you seen these tools and resources?
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)
The New Zealand Sign Language Strategy and NZSL Board
The Ministry for Social Development’s Lead Toolkit
The New Zealand Disability Strategy
Our Disability Data collection
Disability Toolkit for Policy
Out of scope
Senior Advisor, Policy, Strategy and Partnership.
Whaikaha I Ministry of Disabled People I Aurora Centre, 56 The Terrace I PO Box 1556,
Wellington 6140
Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz
ODI: http://www.odi.govt.nz | https://www.facebook.com/nzofficefordisabilityissues |
@NZ_ODI
Whaikaha: http://www.Whaikaha.govt.nz
GIF image for the logo and email signature banner of the Ministry
[Please update your records with my email address & number! ]
From: Out of scope
@msd.govt.nz>
Sent: Thursday, 27 July 2023 2:03 pm
To: Out of scope
Cc: Out of scope
Subject: RE: MEDIA QUERY, STUFF: How many neurodivergent + affordability of ADHD diagnosis
IN-CONFIDENCE
Stats NZ are the lead agency for Disability Survey 2013, so can I confirm we will transfer Q1 and
Q2 to them?
Please advise whether we should refer these questions elsewhere - at first
glance looks like 1 and 2 might be more for Health or Stats NZ?
And Q3 might be more for Minister’s Office, if affordability of a diagnosis
depends on requirements set out in legislation?
Deadline in one hour.
Out of scope
– Senior Advisor, Media
Out of scope
| [email address] | www.msd.govt.nz
Ministry of Social Development, Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora
Aurora Centre, 56-66 The Terrace, PO Box 1556, Wellington 6140
From: ODI (WHAIKAHA) <
[email address]>
Sent: Thursday, 27 July 2023 12:32 PM
To: Out of scope
Cc: Out of scope
Subject: RE: MEDIA QUERY, STUFF: How many neurodivergent + affordability of ADHD diagnosis
IN-CONFIDENCE
I stand corrected
Out of scope has found this
Data from the 2013 Disability Survey estimated a prevalence rate of 5% for
psychiatric/psychological impairments, 2% for intellectual impairments, and 5% for learning
impairments in the general population.
Out of scope
From: ODI (WHAIKAHA) <
[email address]>
Sent: Thursday, 27 July 2023 11:40 am
To: Out of scope
Cc: Media (WHAIKAHA) <[email address]>
Subject: RE: MEDIA QUERY, STUFF: How many neurodivergent + affordability of ADHD diagnosis
IN-CONFIDENCE
ODI has no information to assist with this one.
Out of scope
From: Out of scope
@msd.govt.nz>
Sent: Thursday, 27 July 2023 11:34 am
To: Out of scope
Cc: Media (WHAIKAHA) <[email address]>
Subject: MEDIA QUERY, STUFF: How many neurodivergent + affordability of ADHD diagnosis
IN-CONFIDENCE
Please advise whether we should refer these questions elsewhere - at first
glance looks like 1 and 2 might be more for Health or Stats NZ? And Q3
might be more for Minister’s Office, if affordability of a diagnosis depends on
requirements set out in legislation?
Deadline
3.30pm
Reporter
Out of scope
, Stuff
Story
Reporter is writing a story about autism and ADHD, its
prevalence in NZ and the barriers people may face
getting a diagnosis and accessing support.
Query
1. Does Whaikaha have data on the number of
people in Aotearoa who are diagnosed with
neurodiversity?
The word neurodiversity refers to the diversity of all
people, but it is often used in the context of autism
spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as other neurological
or developmental conditions such as ADHD or learning
disabilities.
What is neurodiversity? - Harvard Health
Given that neurodiversity is not diagnosed by
professionals there is no easy way to count or report
on the number of people who are neurodiverse.
2. Specifically does Whaikaha know how many
people have autism and ADHD respectively?
In the question of how many people have autism.
Whaikaha in partnership with the Ministry of
Education publishes the “The Aotearoa New Zealand
Autism Guideline”. The 2022 published Third Edition
reports “
There is no definitive information on the
prevalence and incidence of autism in Aotearoa New
Zealand. However, considering a range of
estimates16, it can be said that, conservatively, about
1–2% of the population are likely to be autistic; that
is, between 50,000 and 100,00 autistic
people/tāngata whaitakiwātanga in Aotearoa New
Zealand”
The Aotearoa New Zealand Autism Guideline: He
Waka Huia Takiwātanga Rau (‘the Guideline’)
describes best practice on how to support autistic
people in New Zealand.
About the Guideline
Newly revised as a third edition in 2022, the Guideline
considers autism (takiwātanga) across the whole of
a person’s life – from early childhood through to
adulthood.
The guideline includes over 300 evidence based
recommendations. These were developed by
clinicians, educators, researchers, and people with
lived experience, and are based on reviews of local
and international research.
Areas covered include: assessment and diagnosis,
support for individuals and families, education,
mental health and wellbeing, living in the community,
professional development, Māori perspectives, and
perspectives of Pacific Peoples.
This Guideline is proudly led by Whaikaha – Ministry
of Disabled People in partnership with the Ministry of
Education. Historically the Guideline was published
by the
Ministry of Health external URL, and earlier
editions and supporting documents can still be
found on their website as a record of evolving
resources. Going forward, the current and new
editions and related resources will be published here,
on the Whaikaha site.
On ADHD – The information below is helpful, it comes
from Manatū Hauora (the Ministry of Health) and was
published as a response to an Official Information Act
request in Febryar 2023. The link is included to the
full OIA response is h2023019935_response.pdf
(health.govt.nz)
The most relevant information in the published OIA
reads:
“
How many people are diagnosed in NZ with ADHD
during 2020, 2021 and 2022? And how many of those
people are Māori? Manatū Hauora does not hold
complete diagnosis data for ADHD in New Zealand. As
such, this part of your request is refused under 18(g)
of the Act. The Programme for the Integration of
Mental Health Data (PRIMHD) contains data for a
subset of people diagnosed with ADHD who are seen
in publicly funded specialist mental health and
addiction services. PRIMHD does not have details for
those seen only in primary or private health services.
There is a lack of up-to-date epidemiological data on
the prevalence of ADHD in New Zealand. This can
make it challenging to understand the level of need
for support for ADHD in New Zealand. Evidence
suggests that the prevalence of ADHD in children and
adolescents internationally is 5–8% and in Australia is
between 6–10%. Data from the New Zealand Health
Survey shows that the number of children aged 2 to
14 years whose parents report a diagnosis of ADHD
fluctuates between 1.5% and 3% yearly. The New
Zealand Health Survey does not collect data on young
people and adults 15 years and over who are
diagnosed with ADHD. Please refer to Appendix 1 for
further information. 4. What research has been
conducted about diagnoses in children under the age
of 5
3.
Is anything being done at Whaikaha to
increase access to and the affordability of
getting a diagnosis for ADHD and autism?
Whaikaha is not considering funding the costs of
diagnosis of ADHD and/or Autism. Whaikaha funded
disability support services are available for disabled
people who require ongoing support to live
independently. Funding is also available for
equipment and devices to assist people to live
independently. Diagnosis services are not funded by
Whaikaha.
Ministry funded disability support services are
available to people who have a physical, intellectual
or sensory disability (or a combination of these)
which:
is likely to continue for at least six months
needs ongoing support to live independently, to
the extent that ongoing support is required.
These services are mainly for people under the age
of 65 years.
The Ministry will also fund disability support services
for people with:
some neurological conditions that result in
permanent disabilities
some developmental disabilities in children and
young people, such as Autism
physical, intellectual or sensory disability that
co-exists with a health condition and/or injury.
Business lead for
query/QA/fact
checker
Response
Please advise
This reply addresses the information you requested.
You have the right to ask the Ombudsman to
investigate and review our response.
In the event a request for some or all of your request
for information has been declined, please click here
for more information about the reason why. Please
also note that requests for comment are not requests
under the OIA.
Notes – for
internal use only
Out of scope
– Senior Advisor, Media
Out of scope
| [email address] |
www.msd.govt.nz
Ministry of Social Development, Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora
Aurora Centre, 56-66 The Terrace, PO Box 1556, Wellington 6140
Email thread 4
From:
To:
Out of scope
Cc:
Subject:
RE: raft report on Alternative Education
Date:
Wednesday, 14 June 2023 9:23:38 am
Attachments:
image001.png
image002.png
image003.png
image004.png
image005.png
image006.png
Kia ora kōrua
Thank you for sending this through!
I share your concerns about the learning environments and lack of registered teachers. The
young people in Alternative Education typically need more support than young people in
secondary schools.
Re. terminology:
I recognise neurodivergence sits within the ‘disabled learners’ set, but we when we talked
to people in education, there was a mix of understanding about whether neurodivergent
young people sat under the ‘disabled learners’ banner. We wanted to be clear about it,
especially with the high proportion of young people with ADHD, so have named
neurodivergence specifically.
Re. transitions:
This would be great to raise as being something to be extra aware of, when planning
transitions!
Re. intersectionality:
Unfortunately we don’t have sufficient sample to cut further. I agree there’s likely to be
some interesting things if we were able to look.
Re. the purpose:
This work, alongside the work we did last year on support for disabled learners shows
there’s a lot still to be done to make the education system properly inclusive. It would be
super interesting to look further into the experiences of disabled young people as they
travel through the secondary school years and onto their post-school next steps.
Thank you for your support in the recs. I hope having you at the table will help keep a focus on
disabled young people in Alternative Education, so they can have better experiences and lives!
Ngā mihi
Out of scope
From: Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz>
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2023 4:18 PM
To: Out of scope
@ero.govt.nz>
Cc: Out of scope
Subject: raft report on Alternative Education
Kia ora Out of scope
Thank you for asking me to comment on the report into Alternative
Education, as part of my membership of the Advisory Group. Once again, my
apologies for not getting back to you sooner with this information. The draft
review into Alternative Education makes for very interesting but unsettling
reading, particularly for disabled learners.
There is nothing in the report with which I would disagree. However, there
are some areas that could be highlighted or expanded a little.
Terminology
In Section Two, when the numbers of disabled people in Alternative
Education are addressed, the report refers to learners with ADHD, learners
with Autism and then refers to disabled learners. Learners with ADHD,
mental health conditions and/or autism are all considered to be ‘disabled
learners’. Therefore, it might be more appropriate to list the number with
ADHD, Autism and then refer to Other Disabled Learners or learners with
other impairments. The way it is currently written makes it appear as if
learners with Autism and ADHD are something other than disabled.
Learning environment
One of the most important factors for disabled learners is ensuring that their
learning environment is accessible. The learning environment consists of
(amongst other things):
· the physical environment
accessible information, that is, information is provided in the
appropriate format for disabled learners
accessible teaching, learners can both access the content and
demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways
teacher attitudes, teachers need to have positive attitudes towards
disabled learners, this includes having high expectations of these
learners and not condemning them with low expectations.
The report talks about the fact that many of the ‘teachers’ in Alternative
Education are not qualified teachers. This is concerning because our current
teaching workforce claim they lack confidence in adapting material to suit
the individual needs of learners with diverse needs. It would seem that
unqualified teachers would have even less capability to adapt learning for
diverse learners, although this theory would need to be tested. Furthermore,
it appears that whilst passionate about supporting young people, our
teachers in Alternative Education do not necessarily have any understanding
of disability and/or how to support disabled learners.
Whoever our teachers in Alternative Education are, they need to operate
from a strengths-based, social model of disability, as opposed to a deficit-
based medical model.
Transitions
It is heartening to see that time is spent on transitioning people into
Alternative Education and that once settled, learners seem to enjoy being in
these settings. However, the transition out of Alternative Education needs
more emphasis for all learners, given the findings in the report about the
outcomes for those involved in Alternative Education. Planning for next steps
is critical for disabled learners. They often need more time to adjust to a
new situation. There are additional things to consider when transitioning a
disabled learner into a new setting, that require, for example, planning,
accessibility of the new location, transport, personal support, and use of
technology.
Intersectionality
Within the report, I note that whilst there is data on several different priority
groups, there has been no effort made to look at the intersectionality of
those groups. For example, what is Alternative Education like for Tāngata
Whaikaha Māori (Māori disabled)? What is Alternative Education like for
Pacific girls?
Purpose of Alternative Education
The section of the report which focusses on disabled learners in Alternative
Education made for difficult reading. A large percentage of disabled young
people that were in alternative education were placed there because the
school had made the request for such a placement. This means that New
Zealand secondary schools are still struggling to adequately support disabled
learners and instead of developing strategies to achieve this, the schools are
placing ‘difficult disabled’ learners into the Alternative Education
system. Furthermore, it is concerning that disabled learners had the highest
number of responses that showed they did not see the value of learning, and
do not enjoy their learning in Alternative Education. It would be interesting
to research this further. However, at the very least, this finding leads to
questions about the messages that disabled learners are receiving about
their learning, their place in our education system and their future
prospects. If learners do not see the value of learning, it would seem to
indicate that they see no future for themselves in terms of work or further
education. If learners are not enjoying their learning in Alternative
Education, it seems to say that the learning is not meeting their needs in
this setting either.
Recommendations
Finally, with regards to the recommendations concerning Whaikaha, see
below:
· The Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Oranga Tamariki,
Whaikaha | Ministry of Disabled People, Te Puni Kōkiri and Ministry of
Social Development to work together to ensure young people in
“Alternative Education” are a priority for the specialist support they
need
The Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education Commission, Ministry of
Social Development, Whaikaha | Ministry of Disabled People and
Oranga Tamariki review the transition and ongoing support for learners
in “Alternative Education” to ensure learners have a planned and
supported pathway, with sufficient pastoral and learning support, to
make a successful transition into further learning or work.
Whaikaha agrees to be part of the work team for this mahi. However,
Whaikaha’s role will be one of stewardship and looking for linkages on how
Whaikaha commissions and funds services, including give effect to:
Enabling Good Lives principles and approaches and
ensuring that the work is undertaken in a way that is consistent with the
New Zealand Disability Strategy and the UNCRPD.
Ngā mihi
Out of scope
Ngā Mihi
Out of scope
Have you seen these tools and resources?
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)
The New Zealand Sign Language Strategy and NZSL Board
The Ministry for Social Development’s Lead Toolkit
The New Zealand Disability Strategy
Our Disability Data collection
Disability Toolkit for Policy
The Accessibility Charter
Out of scope
Senior Advisor, Policy, Strategy and Partnership.
Whaikaha I Ministry of Disabled People I Aurora Centre, 56 The Terrace I PO Box 1556,
Wellington 6140
Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz
ODI: http://www.odi.govt.nz | https://www.facebook.com/nzofficefordisabilityissues |
@NZ_ODI
Whaikaha: http://www.Whaikaha.govt.nz
GIF image for the logo and email signature banner of the Ministry
[Please update your records with my email address & number! ]
From:
Sent: Wednesday, 31 May 2023 9:14 am
To: Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz>
Subject: RE: Draft report on Alternative Education
We don’t have a meeting today!
We had said end of last week, as it’s going for signout at the end of this week – is there any
chance you could have a quick look over and get back to us by tomorrow? Perhaps focussing on
the description of the learners, section on differences for different groups and the overall key
findings?
Completely understand if that won’t work!
Ngā mihi
Out of scope
From: Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz>
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2023 9:11 AM
To: Out of scope
@ero.govt.nz>
Subject: RE: Draft report on Alternative Education
Oh Out of scope
I’m so sorry, I completely forgot about this. Can you please resend it and
give me a date for this?
I take it we don’t have a meeting today do we?
Regards
Out of scope
Ngā Mihi
Out of scope
Have you seen these tools and resources?
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)
The New Zealand Sign Language Strategy and NZSL Board
The Ministry for Social Development’s Lead Toolkit
The New Zealand Disability Strategy
Our Disability Data collection
Disability Toolkit for Policy
The Accessibility Charter
Out of scope
Senior Advisor, Policy, Strategy and Partnership.
Whaikaha I Ministry of Disabled People I Aurora Centre, 56 The Terrace I PO Box 1556,
Wellington 6140
Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz
ODI: http://www.odi.govt.nz | https://www.facebook.com/nzofficefordisabilityissues |
@NZ_ODI
Whaikaha: http://www.Whaikaha.govt.nz
GIF image for the logo and email signature banner of the Ministry
[Please update your records with my email address & number! ]
From: Out of scope
@ero.govt.nz>
Sent: Wednesday, 31 May 2023 8:55 am
To: Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz>
Subject: RE: Draft report on Alternative Education
Kia oraOut of scope
I hope you’re well! Just checking in if you have any feedback on our report in Alt Ed? We have
very little time, but I don’t want to miss out on any feedback you’ve got for us!
Ngā mihi
Out of scope
From: Out of scope
Sent: Friday, May 19, 2023 4:57 PM
To: Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz>
Cc:Out of scope
@ero.govt.nz>
Subject: Draft report on Alternative Education
Kia ora Out of scope
Thank you for your support of, and interest in our evaluation of Alternative Education.
As discussed, we are sharing a copy of our draft report for you to review.
We are asking you to keep this confidential. To help ensure the report is kept confidential we
are asking you to:
Only share the report with those people who need to see it for the purposes of fact
checking
Keep track of who you share the reports with
Ask anyone who you share the report with to not share the report with anybody else
Securely destroy any printed copies of the reports that you make.
Please return any feedback to us
within one week (by COB next Friday 26 May).
Please also note:
· Some sections are still being drafted; as indicated in the draft document. Let us
know if you wish to review these sections once they are drafted
· We are still adding/editing graphs, vignettes, quotes etc. We have reviewed
quotes for sensitive content, but please let us know if there’s anything we’ve missed!
· The draft report is going through our QA process – some things may still change
· Proofing for grammar, spelling etc. is yet to be completed.
As we are still developing recommendations, these are not in the current draft of the report.
Thanks again for your continued interest in this project.
Ngā mihi,
Out of scope
Senior Manager, Te Ihuwaka | Education Evaluation Centre
Out of scope
Education Review Office | Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga
National Office | Tari Matua
Out of scope
Legal House Level 1, 101 Lambton Quay, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
Follow us on social media!
www.ero.govt.nz
Ko te Tamaiti te Pūtake o te Kaupapa
The child - the heart of the matter
--------------- This email and any attachments may contain information that is confidential and
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Please notify the sender by return email and delete the original message and any
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may not necessarily reflect the views of the Ministry."
--------------- This email and any attachments may contain information that is confidential and
subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination,
distribution or duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this
email in error please notify the author immediately and erase all copies of the email and
attachments. ---------------
"This email is confidential and may contain information that is subject to legal privilege. If
it is not intended for you please do not read, distribute or copy it or any attachments.
Please notify the sender by return email and delete the original message and any
attachments. Any views expressed in this email may be those of the individual sender and
may not necessarily reflect the views of the Ministry."
--------------- This email and any attachments may contain information that is confidential
and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination,
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Email thread 5
From:
Out of scope
To:
Out of scope
Cc:
Out of scope
Subject:
RE: IN CONFIDENCE - SOS INFORMATION REQUEST: Briefing on neurodiversity due to Min Doocey on 14 March 2024
Date:
Wednesday, 13 March 2024 1:01:00 pm
Attachments:
image001.png
image002.png
HiOut of scope
Here are some key messages for you - as well as some info on current DSS eligibility and scoping a review, we’ve provided some
general lines on the role of Whaikaha in case this is useful given the other Briefing you’ve been drafting to give Hon Reti an
outline of the health system role for disabled people and the role of Whaikaha. Hopefully this is the level of detail you were after
– let us know if you’d like to discuss. We’ve linked it where possible to how it may be relevant to Hon Doocey’s neurodiversity
portfolio.
Whaikaha input to MOH on neurodiversity briefing – current eligibility for support and
scoping a review
·
In New Zealand, no one agency is responsible for funding and delivering services and support
for all disabled people; rather it is shared across several government agencies. Whaikaha –
Ministry of Disabled People has a dual Cabinet-mandated role to:
o lead and coordinate strategic disability policy across government to improve outcomes for
disabled people (stewardship), and
o transform the disability support system, including through the administration of $2.2
billion per annum for disability support services (DSS).
·
The role in Whaikaha stewarding strategic disability policy involves supporting other
government agencies to meet their responsibilities to disabled people.
·
Whaikaha is responsible for funding DSS, which may include some people who identify as
being neurodiverse. Currently, people are eligible to be assessed for a range of Whaikaha-
funded DSS if:
They have an intellectual, sensory, physical disability or autism
Their disability presents before the age of 65 years (in most cases)
Their impairments are likely to continue for at least six months and limit their ability to
function independently, to the extent that ongoing support is required.
·
As of October 2023, Whaikaha oversees the delivery of supports for the day to day lives of
almost 50,000 disabled people under the age of 65, and equipment and environmental
modification supports for 100,000 people of all ages.
·
There are currently inequities and gaps in the cross-government support services for many
disabled people and their families, and this includes many people with neurodevelopmental
conditions which may fall under the term neurodiversity. The disability community has been
calling for Whaikaha-funded DSS eligibility to be based on the functional impact of disability
rather than on diagnosis or impairment and for expanded access to DSS for a number of years,
which was noted in the October 2021 Cabinet paper establishing Whaikaha.
·
Whaikaha is currently scoping a medium-term policy work programme to review eligibility to
access DSS. Whaikaha expects to provide advice to the Minister for Disability Issues on the
scope of the work programme in due course. The review will consider whether to expand
eligibility to cover more groups of disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori (disabled
Māori), and how DSS functions alongside other government supports.
·
Once the scope of the review of eligibility is confirmed, Whaikaha expects that the review itself
will take at least 18-24 months. Any proposed changes to DSS eligibility settings will require a
decision from Cabinet in future and will have funding implications.
·
Whaikaha is working with an Advisory Group in scoping the review of DSS eligibility. The
Advisory Group represents the needs of people currently not served or underserved by DSS.
The Advisory Group includes members from ADHD NZ, Autism NZ, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorder – Carers’ Action Network, Tourette’s Association, Epilepsy NZ, Rare Disorders NZ,
Stroke Foundation, as well as other representative organisations.
Note that we haven’t included the whole list of organisations in the Advisory Group but have noted the ones relevant to the
neurodiversity space – if you want the full list get in touch with Out of scope
Ngā mihi
Out of scope
Out of scope
(she/her)
Manager, Disability Policy
Policy, Strategy and Partnerships
Whaikaha | Ministry of Disabled People
Out of
| Whaikaha.govt.nz
I am currently working reduced hours 5 days a week, if you require an urgent response you may wish to contact
scope
another member of my team or: [email address]
From: Out of scope
@health.govt.nz>
Sent: Tuesday, 12 March 2024 2:17 pm
To: Out of scope
Cc: Out of scope
Subject: RE: IN CONFIDENCE - SOS INFORMATION REQUEST: Briefing on neurodiversity due to Min Doocey on 14 March 2024
All good, thanksOut of scope , whatever Whaikaha is comfortable sharing will be fine. Health will try to keep things as high-level as
possible.
Ngā mihi
Out of
Principal Policy Analyst
scope
Health of Disabled People Policy
Strategy, Policy and Legislation
Out of
scope
@health.govt.nz
Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora
133 Molesworth Street, Thorndon, Wellington 6011
From: Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz>
Sent: Tuesday, 12 March 2024 1:52 pm
To: Out of scope
Cc: Out of scope
Subject: RE: IN CONFIDENCE - SOS INFORMATION REQUEST: Briefing on neurodiversity due to Min Doocey on 14 March 2024
IN-CONFIDENCE
Thanks Out – we can get you some high level lines on scoping the DSS eligibility review and the summary of current eligibility,
but will need to leave those questions on broader/narrow interpretations on the term neurodiversity to your team.
of
sco
From: pe
Out of scope
@health.govt.nz>
Sent: Tuesday, 12 March 2024 12:18 pm
To: Out of scope
Cc: Out of scope
Subject: RE: IN CONFIDENCE - SOS INFORMATION REQUEST: Briefing on neurodiversity due to Min Doocey on 14 March 2024
Thank you Out and appreciate quick response.
of
That would be great to get Whaikaha approved messages on the eligibility review and membership of the external advisory
scop
group.
e
· Your point on the need for definition/ concept clarity (re neurodiverse/ neurodiversity/ neurodevelopmental) is spot on. Be
good to present common understandings.
· On scope, we likely need to cover off both broader and narrower interpretations. What about those groups (e.g. Tourette
syndrome, FASD) who may argue for inclusion in this category?
· For the briefing it would be good to see Whaikaha’s wider role but also appreciate boundaries such as Whaikaha funds
Autism but not ADHD without co-existing eligible disability, does not fund educational/ learning supports when children &
young people are on intensive support packages etc.
Thank you all for support.
I’ll copy in Out of scope who is co-working on the brief and also Out of scope given interagency interests in the briefing.
We will send round a draft of the briefing when developed enough.
Ngā mihi
Out of
Principal Policy Analyst
scope
Health of Disabled People Policy
Strategy, Policy and Legislation
Out of
scope
@health.govt.nz
Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora
133 Molesworth Street, Thorndon, Wellington 6011
From: Out of scope
@whaikaha.govt.nz>
Sent: Tuesday, 12 March 2024 11:13 am
To: Out of scope
Cc: Out of scope
Subject: RE: IN CONFIDENCE - SOS INFORMATION REQUEST: Briefing on neurodiversity due to Min Doocey on 14 March 2024
IN-CONFIDENCE
Hi Out – we could provide you some key messages on the review of eligibility for DSS we are scoping, that is the main area of
relevant work in the policy team – and our external Advisory Group for the review covers a number of neurodiversity groups. Is
of
that what you’re looking for?
sco
pe
However – to tautoko Out of point – what scope for the term ‘neurodiversity’ are you taking? At least in my mind it could be read
scope
in a couple of different ways:
A narrower way e.g. ADHD, autism, sensory processing disorders, dyslexia, you’ve mentioned Tourette’s
A broader umbrella term of differences in neurotypes which could cover lots of groups and neurodevelopmental
conditions or anyone not identifying as ‘neurotypical’ – e.g. in addition to the above it may include people with
intellectual (learning) disability, FASD, FACS, long-term mental health conditions, and many many other groups!
If you are taking the latter and broader approach- you may wish to outline other areas of the role of Whaikaha in providing DSS
e.g. for people with learning disability.
Cheers
Out
of
From:
scop Out of scope
health.govt.nz>
Sent:
e
Monday, 11 March 2024 9:55 pm
To: Out of scope
; contact
(WHAIKAHA) <
[email address]>
Subject: IN CONFIDENCE - SOS INFORMATION REQUEST: Briefing on neurodiversity due to Min Doocey on 14 March 2024
Kia ora Whaikaha whaanau and hope you are all well
Apologies for this very short notice request for information on “neurodiversity” from Whaikaha’s perspective.
Out of scope are you still the Autism lead?
Out
hoping you are the right Policy team for this one, given the DSS eligibility work?
of
Out we would go through Contact centre first if it were not for a 48-hr turnaround.
scope
of
The ministerial request is boxed below. Appreciate anything relevant from Whaikaha on Autism and any other “neurodiversity”
sco
categories that come in access to DSS e.g. Tourette Syndrome , aware Mental Health covers ADHD, Education covers dyslexia
pe
etc, other agencies like OT have people with neurodiversity in their systems.
Background
Minister Doocey as Associate Minister of Health holds the delegation for neurodiversity. The Minister has
requested some introductory information on this topic in the form of a briefing to get him across the subject
ahead of an officials meeting on the topic.
Request/Content Introductory information across the breadth of the delegation topic
Identify any significant upcoming milestones
Identify risks
Current programmes/initiatives
Anything else of importance/suggestions for deeper more detailed briefings in the future.
Dr Tim Jellyman has advised the following clinical view in rapid response:
Here’s a few general comments at this stage:
need to clarify what the term ‘neurodiversity’ includes.
more narrowly in paediatric services we use the medical diagnostic grouping we would refer to as Autism Spectrum
Disorder, or the Te Reo term: Takiwātanga (my/his/her own time and space).
Current child health diagnostic processes under Te Whatu Ora
across NZ includes a funded role of Developmental Services Coordinators who support both pre-diagnostic
observations and post-diagnostic advice on resources to families where ASD is diagnosed
paediatrician role to make diagnosis; current practical delays to get this across the system due to clinic waitlists
(refer to Te Whatu Ora for details on this)
With diagnosis ASD made, the paediatrician then refers to disability support services, and links family with other
resources (e.g. non-government sector – autism NZ, etc.)
There is an important interface with education (early and school education systems) to be included here as well as with
whaikaha.
Additional notes:
Key issues include
Current delays in getting diagnostic process which would need to be checked with Te Whatu Ora HSS, but is part
of the general challenge of Developmental Outpatient Assessments under Outpatient services.
Limited specialist behavioural intervention services
A complex interface of health (diagnostic), social support (NASC/Taikura under Whaikaha), education (MoE) and
wider community (vocational, enabling environments) services and providers – can be very difficult for people
and their families to navigate, with likely significant variation in what is received.
· Mental Health has provided some ADHD information, which will guide on where they’re coming from - see attached in
confidence.
· Education,Out is there a contact in Learning Support you can suggest please?
of
Happy to go over anything by phone or teams?
scop
e
Ngā mihi
Out of
Principal Policy Analyst
scope
Health of Disabled People Policy
Strategy, Policy and Legislation
Out of
scope
@health.govt.nz
Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora
133 Molesworth Street, Thorndon, Wellington 6011
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