The Senate inquiry into attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Assessment and support services in Australia will this week convene for its first public hearing.
Held in Canberra on Thursday, June 29, the hearing will invite people with lived experience of ADHD, ADHD peak bodies, NSW and ACT-based disability advocacy organisations, some government departments and a range of healthcare professional representative bodies to present further evidence to the committee.
It is expected that the ADHD inquiry, initiated by Senator Jordon Steele-John and passed by the Senate in March, will make community-led recommendations to address the common barriers people experience as they seek ADHD assessment and care.
Around a million people in Australia are directly impacted by ADHD, a widely misunderstood neurodevelopmental disability that can cause significant impairment and dysfunction in people’s lives.
As stated by Senator Jordon Steele-John, Australian Greens spokesperson on Disability Services, Health and Mental Health.
“People with ADHD have been left behind in this country for far too long.
“Over the past year of engaging closely with the ADHD community, I’ve heard countless stories of barriers around cost, wait time and stigma associated with seeking ADHD assessment and support services.
“The ADHD inquiry marked the first time that people with ADHD have had the opportunity to share their lived experience directly with the people who make the decisions that impact their care.
“Now as we move into the next phase of the inquiry, I’m hopeful these experiences will steer the committee toward the robust and meaningful recommendations needed to improve countless lives.
“We laid the first brick in the road toward that by initiating this inquiry. Now, I look forward to working with the community to lay the many bricks to come, beginning with this first public hearing.”
Background
The first public hearing for the ADHD Assessment and Support Services in Australia inquiry will be held on Thursday 29th June in Canberra 10am – 5:30pm AEDT and will hear from people with lived experience, their representative organisations including ADHD Australia, Disability advocacy organisations, Healthcare Professionals and representatives of the Departments of Education, Health and the NDIS.
Program is available here: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/ADHD/Public_Hearings
