By Heidi La Paglia Reid
This week, Australia’s first National Autism Strategy (NAS) was launched, along with its First Action Plan; and it’s a milestone worth celebrating.

It’s a moment that signals a shift toward recognising the rights and inclusion of Autistic people in Australia. For the first time, we have a national framework that acknowledges the diverse needs of the Autistic community and sets out practical steps to address them. While there’s still work to be done, this is a significant step forward.
For me, this isn’t just a policy milestone—it’s deeply personal. I wasn’t diagnosed as Autistic until I was 27. Growing up, I often felt like I was swimming upstream, struggling with things that seemed to come naturally to others. It felt like everyone else had been handed a manual of social rules that I’d somehow missed. The reality is that I had—because the world isn’t designed with Autistic people in mind; and for me this had immense consequences.
Throughout my childhood and pretty much right up until my Autism diagnosis, I struggled to know who I was and why I was the way I was. In my teenage years, that struggle to belong led to a debilitating eating disorder, which in turn caused long-term health conditions like IBS, osteoporosis, which were having significant impacts on me before I was even 20 years old; all things I suspect could have possibility been prevented, had I have had the right diagnosis and supports earlier.
My story isn’t unique—it reflects the experiences of many Autistic women and gender diverse people who are often underdiagnosed and left without the support they need. The NAS’s recognition of women and girls as a priority group is an important step in addressing these long-standing inequities.
The statistics tell a clear story: Autism is the most common primary disability category in the NDIS, with over 214,000 participants. Yet women and girls remain underrepresented—only 37% of NDIS participants are female, and among children aged 0–6 and 7–14, 70% of participants are male. These numbers highlight how many Autistic women and girls are either undiagnosed or diagnosed, but don’t meet the access criteria for the NDIS, leaving them without access to crucial supports.
Some critics have questioned whether the NAS does enough for Autistic people who are not on the NDIS; for Autistic women and girls, I would say the answer is a resounding yes. For some, the NAS sits entirely outside of the ecosystem of the NDIS – a refreshing approach for those who have historically been excluded from the scheme, the majority of whom are women and girls.
The NAS also arrives at a critical time when many Autistic people are facing challenges within the NDIS. Children aged 5 to 9 are being reassessed and, in many cases, removed from the scheme. The government and the NDIA are tightening eligibility criteria and according to a line that appears in the NAS, focusing primarily on those with ‘very high support needs’ (i.e. ‘Level 3 Autism’ under the NDIS); and pushing out a large proportion of the Autistic community.
During my nearly 2 years on the Oversight Council, I had the privilege of consulting with many Autistic women and gender diverse people, including many Autistic mothers of Autistic children. They shared their hopes and challenges, and their insights were invaluable. They spoke about the need for peer support, funded advocacy, and greater understanding of autism across sectors like justice, workplaces, and education. They also emphasised the importance of connecting the Autism Strategy to other key frameworks, such as the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children, the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children, and Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality; many of which, I am proud to see reflected in the final version of the strategy.
The NAS is not perfect—it’s not binding on states and territories, which means it risks failing to reform critical areas such as the state education and child protection systems, which too often have penalised Autistic mothers and our children for not meeting the expectations of neuro-normative systems. Federally, gaps include a lack of commitment to improving social security payments or ensuring sustainable funding for representative bodies. In my home state of Tasmania, for example, we no longer have a funded representative body for Autistic people after Autism Tasmania went into administration last year. Sustainable funding for advocacy organisations in every state and territory is essential to ensure that Autistic voices are heard and needs are met.
However, I need to emphasise that the NAS is only in its first iteration and for a first draft, I believe it offers a foundation that holds some promises for Autistic women, girls and gender diverse people. By adopting an intersectional, trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming and rights based approach and funnelling funding into community based services such as peer-support, the strategy lays the groundwork for addressing some of the systemic barriers that disadvantage us in almost every setting.
Personally, I am particularly looking forward to the results of the $2.8 million epidemiological study funded to identify the true prevalence of Autism in Australia. Noting that longstanding biases in the understanding of Autism and the design of diagnostic tools have contributed to Autism being diagnosed more frequently in men and boys, I hold some hope that this study will reveal a more accurate, gender-responsive picture, and build a base of knowledge that can be drawn on to increase much needed supports for Autistic women and girls.
In addition to the NAS, there is also the upcoming National Roadmap to Improve the Health and Mental Health of Autistic People, led by the Department of Health and Aged Care. Though the details of the Roadmap are yet to be fully released, its focus on health is one that is much needed for Autistic women, who are too often disadvantaged by routine late diagnoses, high rates of co-occurring conditions and a healthcare system that creates and / or exacerbates psychosocial disabilities and chronic conditions by failing to provide care that meets our sensory and communication needs and differences.
Overall, my view is that the NAS is not perfect but it’s a start, and from a gendered perspective, it’s a reasonably strong one.
But it’s also a call to action. Implementation will require robust community led governance, transparent reporting and sustainable funding. As we have learnt from previous strategies and initiatives that have fallen away with changes in government, to be effective long-term, it will also need to be enshrined in legislation. As we move forward, we must hold governments accountable and ensure that the Strategy delivers on its promises.
This is just the beginning of a journey toward a more inclusive Australia. With the right support, advocacy, and commitment, we can create a society where all Autistic people—regardless of which intersection we fit into—can thrive. The road ahead is long, but it’s one worth continuing on.
Read and download the National Autism Strategy:

Heidi La Paglia Reid (she/her) is a proud Autistic and disabled consultant with over a decade of experience in professional and voluntary roles across the disability advocacy and women’s rights sectors.
Heidi was a member of the Oversight Council overseeing the development of Australia’s first National Autism Strategy (NAS) and currently sits on the Board of the Australian Women’s Health Alliance.