Improving Health Outcomes for Autistic People

What is the project about?

The project aims to:

Build the capacity and health literacy of people with Autism and other complex communication needs, and
Build the capacity of health professionals to deliver quality health services to Autistic people.

Who can take part?

We will be working with individuals with Autism, their families and caregivers, health professionals and peak bodies to co-develop resources, training and professional development packages, and new service delivery models.

Participants must be:

An individual with Autism, a family member or caregiver, or a health professional.
Aged 16 years or older.

Individuals can take part in a way that suits them, such as:

Joining the co-design team.
Completing online surveys or questionnaires.
Sending a video or written submission.
Participating in focus groups or workshops.

Share your Emergency Department experiences

Perth Children’s Hospital Emergency Department

Good health care in hospitals and other healthcare services is not just about treating an illness. It is about making sure that patients are cared for and feel safe and confident in the quality of their care. Finding out about patients’ experiences can help hospitals and healthcare services to improve the care they provide.

In collaboration with Perth Children’s Hospital, we are conducting a survey to better understand the experiences of children with Autism and their families who have attended the Emergency Department (ED) at Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH).

The aims of the survey are:

To find out the most effective ways for families to prepare for a trip to PCH ED and engage optimally with the services available.
To better understand from parents what is working well or could be improved in the services provided to your child with Autism at Perth Children’s Hospital Emergency Department.
To understand what ‘good care’ means to parents and patients with Autism and exactly what they experienced during their care in hospital.
Find out what improvements could be made that will make a significant difference to patients with Autism and their families.

Click here to take the survey

Attend our Curtin University Oral Health Familiarisation Clinics

Express your interest

We are pleased to have an ongoing partnership with the Curtin University Oral Health Therapy Clinic. Through this partnership, students in their final year of Oral Health Therapy training are running dental familiarisation clinics specifically for individuals with Autism. We would like to offer you or your family the opportunity to attend an appointment at these clinics – supported by staff from the Autism Association of WA – at no cost to you.

The next round of clinics will be held in August 2025. If you or your family would like to attend an appointment, click the button below to complete an Expression of Interest.

All clinics are held at the Oral Health Centre of Western Australia in Nedlands. To assist with travel expenses, Curtin University is offering vouchers to individuals and families attending the clinics. As part of this process, please enter your postcode as prompted when completing the Expression of Interest form. You will receive your voucher when you attend your clinic appointment.

Express your interest here

Clinics are held in partnership with Curtin University and the Curtin University Oral Health Therapy Clinic.

Staff training request

Our Health Project team offers on-site training throughout the Perth Metropolitan area, as well as online training to services throughout Western Australia. To make a request for staff training, please click on the button below to fill out the form.

Request staff training here

Need to know more?