ASAN AUNZ
THriving Kids Inquiry
asan aunz’s submission to the thriving kids inquiry
1 october 2025
ASAN AUNZ’s submission to the House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability Inquiry into the Thriving Kids Initiative was a considered and constructive, well referenced, 37-page response to the Terms of Reference >. It provided 7 recommendations:
- Co-design plain-language resources with Autistic people & people with disability that emphasise supporting, not “fixing”, children. Require transparency about benefits, risks, conflicts of interest, and gaps in evidence, with independent review.
- Fund strengths-based, naturalistic, relationship-focused supports (including parent coaching) and avoid practices linked to trauma or masking. Define success by wellbeing, communication and participation, and mandate independent, conflict-free evaluation with ongoing harm monitoring.
- Equip mainstream services (GPs, child health, childcare, playgroups, preschools) to include and support neurodivergent children and children with disability. Use place-based, cross-sector approaches that also address social determinants of health like housing, income and caregiver wellbeing. Ensure accessibility for families through flexible delivery (telehealth,
weekend/evening options). - Partner with First Nations and CALD communities in design and delivery. Translate/adapt materials, support flexible access (telehealth, travel support), and prioritise community-led and self-determined approaches. Monitor uptake and close gaps so no group is left behind.
- Set minimum standards and provide training in neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed, culturally safe and rights-based practice, backed by supervision/mentoring. Grow a diverse workforce, prioritising underserved regions. Embed autistic and disabled leadership and paid peer roles within delivery.
- Anchor Thriving Kids in inclusive education and family centred models, rejecting segregation/normalisation, and only adopt programs once independent, long-term evaluations confirm effectiveness and no net harm.
- Adopt a “no wrong door” approach with shared planning and information (with consent) and navigator roles for families. Provide short-term transition supports and flexible eligibility so children don’t fall off service cliffs between systems or ages. Develop a Transition to School protocol, co-designed with families and autistic/disabled people, to ensure continuity.
The submission included criteria for assessment of potential programs and provided an assessment of programs mentioned in relation to Thriving Kids. For more information on Inklings, you can download ASAN AUNZ’s Facts about Inklings >
The Thriving Kids inquiry have published some submissions in full and some with redactions. They are available at Submissions – Parliament of Australia >
asan aunz’s attendance at the public hearings
17 November 2025
ASAN AUNZ called the committee’s secretariat to ask when the submission would be made available online and if it was intending to invite ASAN AUNZ to attend a public hearing. ASAN AUNZ followed up with an email reminding the committee of ASAN AUNZ’s offer to attend and was then invited to speak on 17 November 2025.
On the Friday before the meeting, the time of the session was changed via email notice, and ASAN AUNZ was scheduled to participate in a 45-minute round table session alongside representatives from the Australian Neurodivergent Parents Association, Regional Autistic Engagement Network and Autism CRC.
The hearing was broadcast live with recordings and transcripts available online.
Unfortunately, autistic representatives were not provided with a fair opportunity to present evidence, and ASAN AUNZ has submitted and endorsed complaints regarding this to the committee and the Australian Human Rights Commission.
ASAN AUNZ took strong action to address this example of increasingly systemic erosion of disability and autistic rights. We sent an open letter to the Ministers for Disability and NDIS, issued a formal complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission, released a Media Statement and started a petition for the public to sign our open letter.
asan aunz’s supplementary submission
8 december 2025
ASAN AUNZ’s 15 page supplementary submission responds to the questions raised during the public hearing which we were not given an opportunity to answer, with the key messages:
- Community distrust is the biggest barrier to Thriving Kids’ success. Over 75% of young people with disability, families and carers don’t trust it.
- Biggest barrier to children getting the support they need is Government’s unethical governance, erosion of rights & focus on short-term cost-cutting.
- The risk of long-term harm to Autistic and neurodivergent children from inappropriate programs delivered under Thriving Kids is real. Suicidal ideation 28 times higher in autistic children. Autistic children are at higher risk of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The dangers are highly probable with high impact, & the evidence is visible.
- Genuine partnership and co-design are essential to build trust. Communication challenges arise from differences in style, not ability.
Our supplementary submission provides examples of co-designed programs and supports to show how a neuro-affirming, trauma-informed, culturally safe and rights-based approach can be implemented and delivered, and closes by reminding members of the committee that …
Without us, you know nothing about us.
MEDIA COVERAGE