Autism Spectrum Disorder Best Practice Guideline: An Impact Analysis/Assessment
Autism Spectrum Disorder Best Practice Guideline: An Impact Analysis/Assessment
Client: Ministry of Health
An Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Guideline has been developed in New Zealand for the first time. It provides evidence based information primarily for health, disability, education professionals, social service providers and policy makers, as well as parents, people with ASD, families/Whanau and care givers. The ASD Guideline encompasses a whole of life span approach and as such has been divided up into three work streams.
The paediatric society is leading the assessment and diagnostic work stream. The Ministry of Education is leading the education work stream and the Disability Services Directorate is leading the third work stream on support and work stream.
Comments from the sector and community on the draft ASD guidelines were being sought at the same time the Impact Assessment work was being carried out.
The primary purpose of the impact analysis was to provide detailed information based on objective and prospective analysis of the likely impact of implementing key recommendations in the draft ASD guidelines. This information formed the basis of a report to Government and Cross Government wide ASD Service development plans.
Through consultations, documentation review and workshops the outcomes of the analysis resulted in:
Identification of what strategies are required to implement key recommendations
Identification of what is currently provided, and the gaps in service provision in relation to the recommendations in the guideline
Determination of the implications/impact of complementing the ASD Guideline on people with ADS, service providers,
workforce, funding and government
Provision of clear direction of what is required to action the recommendations whilst giving due consideration to the
associated financial and recording implications
Provision of options to implement recommendations with a suggested timeframe
Identification of baseline data and on going monitoring requirements; and
The identification of barrier and enables to implementation.