Autism Association 2024 Annual Report

The Autism Association has well established links nationally and internationally.

We continued our strong relationship with East Java as part of our Sister State commitment to supporting professional capacity development in Autism services across 5 regional areas. We provided training and support to multidisciplinary teams in Sidoarjo, Surabaya, Malang, Gresik, and Blitar, and also extended our support beyond East Java to other parts of Indonesia through webinars. In September, we welcomed the Head of the Faculty of Psychology at Airlangga University to discuss potential collaboration between the Autism Association and the University to support students completing the International Undergraduate Psychology Program. A delegation from the Enabling Division of the Singapore Ministry of Social Family and Development visited the Association to learn about our Supported Independent Living Service. The Enabling Division is a government office that oversees policies related to people with disabilities and disability inclusion in Singapore. Following a visit last year, we received a request from the Autism Resource Centre (ARC) Singapore to provide opportunities for ARC staff to undertake internships at the Autism Association, and we are working with ARC to establish a proposal. As we find ourselves moving into a post-pandemic world, we look forward next year to hosting the first Asia Pacific Autism Conference in 6 years (APAC 2025), following postponement due to the global pandemic. In November 2025, we will bring together educators, medical professionals, researchers, allied health professionals, policy makers, NGOs, public sector professionals, and people with Autism and families from around the world to an exciting three-day conference.

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