Historical Background
Australia has a land area about 80 % the size of the USA, China, Europe, and Canada, and 30 times the size of the UK. The total population of Australia is 23 million, with most inhabitants living in several large cities, each with a population of between one and four million. There is a federal system of government, as well as six states and two territories, each with its own state legislature and service systems for health, education, community services, and law. Further, each city or municipal area has a local council and responsibility for services that impact on people with disability. There are thus three levels of government all with involvement in services of various kinds, quite apart from a range of private foundations, organizations, and corporations which also provide service.
The history of autism in Australia follows that in the USA and the UK, beginning with the pioneering work of Kanner in the USA (Kanner 1943). However, specific interest in autism...
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Bartak, L., Williams, K. (2015). Australia and Autism. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102036-1
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