2010-11 Annual report - Amaze

Autism Victoria,trading as AmazeOur VisionThat all people affected by an ASD have the bestquality of life outcomes possible.Our MissionTo provide the best quality range of information,advice and support to families and individuals andadvocating for systemic change, the establishmentof networks, links and communities and theprovision of training and accreditation to theservice support system.Our PhilosophyAutism Victoria believes in the importance ofcooperative partnerships between parents,services and professionals. Our membership ismade up of parents, agencies and professionalsworking together to achieve our Mission.All projects undertaken by Autism Victoria seek toenhance and extend the cooperative partnershipsbetween families, carers and services.About the OrganisationAutism Victoria, trading as Amaze, is a memberbasednot-for-profit organisation and is the peakbody for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) in thestate of Victoria.Our AimOur aim is to improve the quality of life for peopleaffected by Autism Spectrum Disorders, theirfamilies and carers. We also provide a rangeof services to individuals and agencies with aninterest in Autism Spectrum Disorders (includingAsperger Syndrome and PDD-NOS).Our HistoryThe organisation was initially founded in 1967 by agroup of parents who struggled to find resourcesregarding Autism Spectrum Disorders. It wascalled the Victorian Autistic Children’s and Adult’sAssociation and provided a central informationsource predominantly for parents of individualswith an ASD. The name was changed to AutismVictoria in 1999 and this continues to be theofficial name.Our PatronOur Patron is Professor Margot Prior AO, who is aninternationally acclaimed researcher, teacher andclinician in the field of Autism Spectrum Disorders.Page 2 Autism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011

“If you know one person with an Autism Spectrum Disorder,you know one person with anAutism Spectrum Disorder”Contents4 Autism Victoria - 2010-20116 Message from our Chair7 Message from our CEO8 This is Lucas9 Assisting Individuals & Families11 This is a Brother & Sister12 Assisting Professionals & Organisations14 Assisting our Members16 This is Joel & Marilyn17 Thank you20 The Staff22 The Board of Governance24 Directors’ Report26 Financial StatementAutism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011 Page 3

Autism Victoria - 2010-20111500The number of families registeringfor the Helping Children withAutism Funding Package1900The number of familes rassistance from the fami600The number of new resources we areable to purchase for the Autism Library asa result of the 1000 Book Campaign1100The number of delegates attendingthe Victorian Autism Conference inAugust 2010 around the state1000The number of DHand other DHS fuproviders receivinPage 4 Autism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011

Message fromour ChairOn behalf of the Board of Autism Victoria, I havemuch pleasure in presenting this the 2010/11Chair’s Report to members.The most significant event this year for AutismVictoria and the individuals and families wesupport, has been the announcement of theNational Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Ifestablished correctly, it will meet the needs ofmany people who are not currently able to accesssupports.The challenge for the Autism Community will be toensure the NDIS legitimately meets the needs ofour unique individuals and that it recognises theimportance of both early intervention and ongoingsupport for life.It is true to say that both the Commonwealth andState Governments have given a commitment tosee the scheme implemented to address whatthey see as a service system that is “inequitable,underfunded, fragmented and inefficient”. Thissystem does not provide a real and legitimatevoice for individuals and families and is reliant onassessment models that are not reflective of theneeds of the Autism Community.Equally challenging will be the capacity of theworkforce to meet the aspirations of NDISrecipients and the ability of the service systemto provide services in rural and remote locations.How well these challenges are met will determinethe overall success of the scheme.On a more local note, I am delighted to informmembers that the strategic plan developed by thefirst elected Board has now been completed andnext three year strategic plan has been adopted bythe Board. It can be viewed on our website.The Board has also established three subcommitteesto assist in the decision-makingprocess and I am pleased to advise that all threesub-committees are working very effectively tosupport the broad goals of the organisation.Autism Victoria is delivering exceptional servicesvia all programs and this is a direct credit to thestaff, Management and our Chief Executive Officer,Murray Dawson-Smith.The services include administering the “HelpingChildren with Autism” program, facilitatingPage 6 Autism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011“Early Days” workshops, conducting a broadrange of training and information sessions andmost excitingly, the establishment of the AmazeAccreditation and Amaze Knowledge RTO businessunits.Autism Victoria is fortunate to have a strong andcommitted Board of Directors and I want to takethis opportunity of welcoming Craig Shallard andCatherine Wyatt to the Board as a result of theelection last year. I would also like to express mythanks to Peter Heard and Judy Hacker for theircommitment and to wish them every success forthe future.One important event on the calendar was thesecond World Autism Awareness Day event, whichwas a great success with over 1,500 people joiningin for the walk along the St Kilda promenade. Theevent also attracted media attention with all threecommercial TV stations running the story.The past 12 months have been challenging and thenext 12 month period promises to be equally so.We must continue to put energy into supportingthe implementation of the NDIS to ensure it notonly comes into being but that individuals withAutism Spectrum Disorders have their needs met.The period will also see Autism Victoria undergoa face lift with a new trading name and websitealong with another year of promoting andsupporting organisations to embrace accreditationand certified training. It promises to be a greatyear ahead.I would like to conclude by noting that my timeas Chairperson of the Autism Victoria Board hasbeen both exciting and at times challenging. Tohave overseen the evolution of Autism Victoriafrom a small group of passionate and hardworkingparents into an exciting and dynamic organisationhas given me, and I hope, many of our members,a great sense of pride and achievement. I lookforward to the next stage in the organisation’sdevelopment with great enthusiasm.Prof. Bruce TongeChairperson, Autism Victoria

AssistingIndividuals & FamiliesThe individuals and families affected by Autism SpectrumDisorder are the reason that Autism Victoria existsand the organisation aims to keep these people at theforefont of our minds in all activities and programs.As ASD is a lifelong condition, this means that AutismVictoria aims to support individuals and their families atall stages of their lives.Some programs are specifically put in place bygovernment to assist people at specific times of theirlives, and the Autism Advisor Program is one of these.Autism Advisor ProgramDuring 2010-11, the Autism Advisor team continuedto assist families registered with Autism Victoria forthe Helping Chidlren with Autism (HCWA) program.In addition, 1,500 families new families accessed theprogram for the first time during the year.By the end of 2010-2011, the number of families assistedin total was approaching 5000. This is a significantmilestone for the Autism Advisor team, with eachmember of the team providing support and guidanceto a large number of families to help them navigate theHCWA funding and the wider service system.The geographical boundaries that saw Autism Advisorsworking with families in allocated regions of the statewere discontinued during the year and a new modeladopted, where all Autism Advisors have a broaderknowledge of both the metropolitan and regional areasand can assist families right across the state.The focus continues to be on increasing access toinformation about the package across Victoria, tofamilies, professionals and diagnosticians. Whilst this hasbeen very successful, there is still some work to do.• Regional FocusThe team continues to maintain a presence in regionalVictoria, with staff attending a number of Roadshowsand forums as well as making visits to regional areasto share information about the package and meet withfamilies and professionals throughout the year.The Advisor team is also active in the nine ReACT(Regional Autism Coordination Teams) groups acrossmetropolitan and regional Victoria. A major achievementof the ReACT groups this year has been the developmentof regional implementation plans for providinginformation and training in ASD and raising the profile ofASD in the community across the state.• CALD FocusAnother aim is to improve the service to better supportfamilies from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD)backgrounds. Over this year, the Autism Advisor CALDcommittee was expanded to include members fromother departments within the organisation, whichallowed for more resources and knowledge to be sharedto better assist families.Reaching out to CALD communities was also on thenational agenda, with team leaders from Autism AdvisorServices in each state and territory preparing a proposalto forward to the Department of Families, Housing,Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) totranslate some key resources into a number communitylanguages to make information more accessible to thesefamilies. The Victorian Autism Advisor team’s video,“What is the HCWA package?” is being translated intoseveral languages.• National Autism Advisor ForumThe annual Autism Advisor Forum took place in Brisbanein May, and 7 of the team were able to attend. Thisevent provides an annual opportunity to meet withother Autism Advisors from all states together withrepresentatives from FaHCSIA, hear news and updates,share information and develop networks.• Professional DevelopmentThe team welcomed guest speakers on a range of topicsduring the year to increase their knowledge base. AJournal Club has been introduced, where the team readsa current research article in the ASD field, and an AutismAdvisor then leads the discussion about its implicationsfor practice.• Funding ContinuationAs the original 2008-2011 funding cycle drew to a close,the organisation was asked to submit a proposal for thecontinued delivery of the program: the organisation wassuccessful in securing funding for the service until 2014.Due to the success of the HCWA package, the FederalGovernment introduced a new package at the beginningof the 2011-2012 financial year modelled on the HCWAinitiative, called “Better Start for Children with Disability”.Although Autism Victoria is not involved with thispackage, the Autism Advisor team has been able to sharetheir experience and knowledge of setting up the HCWAAutism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011 Page 9

AssistingIndividuals & Familiesprogram with Carer’s Victoria, who have the taskof rolling out the program across the state.Information, Advice & SupportThis team provides a range of servicesto individuals and families (as well as toprofessionals - see page 10). In the 2010-11 year,the Information Officers, Family Counsellors andLibrarian provided the following:• InfoLineThrough the Infoline, the Trainingand Information Officerssupport individuals and familieswith advice, answers to generaland specific questions, informationfrom the Directory of Services andsecondary case consultancy. Statisticsfor 2010-2011 show that approximately 8,200contacts came through the InfoLine.• Attendance at Expos & ForumsWith support from other members of staff, theinformation and training services provided by theorganisation are promoted through attendanceat expos, conferences and forums right acrosssVictoria. Four expos were attended in the 2010-2011 financial year.• Training & EducationDuring 2010-2011, 16 information sessions weredelivered to community groups and organisations.Attendance at expos and forums, and providinginformation sessions resulted in approximately2,000 additional contacts.• Information MaterialsMembers of the team develop and reviewinformation sheets and other informationmaterials, providing items in English, as wellas Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD)materials. The team sent out 885 informationpackages throughout the year.• Family CounsellorsDuring 2010-2011, two part-time familycounsellors provided a range of services,delivering phone, email and face-to-facesupport to 1,900 contacts, and presenting familyinformation sessions on anxiety, mental healthand core management strategies to approximately200 parents and family members. The FamilyCounsellors also delivered sessions to primaryand secondary school students on understandingdifferences, which have proven to be successful.• Directory of ServicesThe internal database of autism-aware andautism-specific products and services has grownto more than 4000 listings across a broad range ofcategories.Calls to the InfoLine often require informationon where to get further services, whether it is anASD-specific paediatrician or a hairdresser whounderstands the needs of individuals with an ASD.The value of the Directory of Services to callerscontinues to increase as more entries are added.Victorian Autism Conference 2010In August 2010, the organisation ran the inauguralVictorian Autism Conference, and with around600 people attending in Melbourne and a further500 in 8 venues across Victoria, it was consideredto be a great success.Attendance was split between professionals andfamilies with a slight bias towards professionals.Feedback from all delegates was excellentwith many suggestions for topics at futureevents. From regional delegates, responsesabout the ease of attending without having totravel to Melbourne were very positive and anyreservations regarding the live-streaming wereovercome by the results, despite a few teethingproblems.Page 10 Autism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011

This isA Brother & SisterBoth our children have been formally diagnosed withAsperger’s Syndrome, and our son (17) has ADD/HD andour daughter (14) the inattentive form of ADD. Both havesuffered from clinical anxiety and depression and PostTraumatic Stress Disorder, a direct result of the 2009Victorian Bushfires.Over the years, I have learnt that you cannot completelytransform a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.However, with a lot of love, patience and hard workand a good support team you can modify them to fit ina neuro-typical society as best as they can and preparethem to be responsible, contributing, independentadults.I started out wanting to revolutionise the world, raisingAutism awareness at a micro level, hoping that it wouldgrow, and grow and grow, changing some people’snarrow-minded prejudices against my children andother children on the Spectrum. It wore me down, as Islowly discovered no matter how hard I tried, the moreresistance there was with some people, that they simplydidn’t want to listen, hear what you had to say, or readthe information to be enlightened and to change. Theysaw the labels and not the real child, and sadly passedunfair judgement upon them. The positive from thiswas that it has helped build our children’s resilience,as it motivates them to work even harder and to provethemselves even more, that they are also valuablemembers of society.We were not fortunate to have an early diagnosisand early intervention which in hindsight would havebeen crucial for them with their social skills and verbalcommunication. With the Asperger’s they both havepoor verbal communication skills, as well as visualprocessing problems and Dysgraphia. Both childrenobjectively are highly gifted with the written word andcan both communicate extremely effectively in thismanner. Autism Victoria and Colonial First Bank’s mostgenerous donation of a laptop to our son last yearhas made a significant difference to his school work,especially his academic achievements and results as hehas become more fluent and articulate in expressinghimself and therefore people, especially teachers whohave been able to understand what he has written.Fortunately there are also some people in the worldthat genuinely do help and make a difference. AutismVictoria’s great support of both our children’s individualtalents, our son’s writing and our daughter’s writing andartwork have helped them build their self-confidenceand self worth, learning not to use their disabilities as anexcuse, to focus on their strengths and celebrate theirgifts and to work hard on the things that they are not asstrong in and to give everything a go, no matter how farout of their comfort zone it is.Life is a continual challenge, but we getover and move on from the bad andugly that can eat you away, and learnto celebrate the good no matter howsmall.“Autism Victoria’s great support of bothour children’s individual talents, ourson’s writing and our daughter’s writingand artwork, has helped them buildtheir self-confidence and self-worth.”Autism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011 Page 11

AssistingProfessionals & OrganisationsInformation, Advice & SupportThis team provides a range of services toprofessionals (as well as individuals and families- see above). Through these services, goals toincrease awareness and provide information,advice, support and education to the widercommunity were met.In the 2010-11 year, the team of 3.4EFT staff wasmade up of Information Officers, Learning andDevelopment Coordinators, Family Counsellorsand Librarian, providing the following services toprofessionals and organisations:• AdviceLineSecondary case consultancy andtraining form a significantportion of the expectations ofthe organisation in its role ofAutism Spectrum Disorder CaseConsultant Practitioner (ASD CCP)for the North/West and East regions.The majority of contacts via the AdviceLine areextended-length secondary case consults. A totalof 693 contacts were assisted during the 2010-2011 financial year.• DHS TrainingTraining funded by the Department of HumanServices (DHS) for case managers and other DHSfunded service providers was delivered to almost1000 people over 51.5 days of training during2010-2011. This is a significant volume of trainingand we received consistently positive feedback.• Communities of PracticeAnother significant part of this funded project isthe establishment of the Communities of Practice(CoP). This is open to professionals wishing toshare best practices, often through the use ofguest speakers, or to collaborate on a sharedpurpose. In 2010-2011, there were six CoPmeetings, with 76 people in attendance in total.Membership to the Community of Practice hasbeen requested by 138 professionals.It is envisaged that the CoP will continue to growstronger throughout the next year, as greaterfocus is placed on sourcing guest speakers toprovide insight into a number of specific areas.Page 12 Autism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011Possibilities to extend the reach to regionalbasedprofessionals using webcasting are beingexplored.• Directory of ServicesAlthough the internal database of autism-awareand autism-specific products and services hasgrown to over 4000 entries across a broad rangeof categories, there are still some areas whereit lacks content and staff are continuing to worktowards extending and improving the content.A major effort to update the database took placeduring the year with a volunteer providing oneday a week to confirm and correct listings. Thiswork is ongoing.To ensure the best possible outcome for familiesand individuals making use of the content, a newstipulation is that a reference is required for allnew listings.Amaze Knowledge -Registered TrainingOrganisationIn 2010-2011, AmazeKnowledge was staffed byone Manager and assistedby an Information Officerand subsequently a full-time Coordinator.The organisation offers certified training courses,professional education sessions and corporateawareness seminars.Through Amaze Knowledge, a range ofprofessional development sessions weredelivered on a fee-for-service basis to a numberof organisations, which included schools, serviceproviders, city councils, and customer service staffwith positive results.Amaze Knowledge launched its first nationallyaccredited certified training in April 2011, held atThe Autism Teaching Institute. A specialised twodayshort course in Autism Spectrum Disorderswas developed: CHCCS413A Support Individualswith Autism Spectrum Disorder. The coursegenerated a substantial amount of interest asthere are limited options for certified training inAutism Spectrum Disorders. Another advantage of

AssistingOur MembersA key goal for the organisation is to advocateon behalf of individuals and families affected byAutism Spectrum Disorder for improved servicesand supports.One way to achieve this is to demonstrate that theorganisation speaks for a large group of peopleand is able to represent the needs of this group:the larger our membership, the stronger andmore representative our voice is and the greaterour influence when lobbying state and federalgovernment.Thank you to everyone who has become amember or renewed their membership during2010-2011 - you are helping us achieve this goal.Over the 2010-2011 year, membership has beensteady at between 1500 and 1700 members,representing around 2,500 individuals on theautism spectrum.Member BenefitsMembership provides a range of benefits thatfar outweigh the very low cost of joining theorganisation, some of which are:• The Spectrum MagazineThe Spectrum Magazine is a very tangiblemember benefit, arriving in letterboxes eachquarter and providing information and articlesof value and interest to individual, family andprofessional members.The Spectrum committee is a cross-functionalteam, with staff from all departments sharingtheir knowledge and expertise to create apublication that provides quality information thatis of use and relevance to all members.A member survey was undertaken duringthe year to ascertain the views of readerson The Spectrum. The survey results werevery illuminating and are being used to makealterations to the magazine.Over three quarters of respondents were parentsof an individual with an ASD, with around 15%being professionals or researchers in the field and4 respondents were individuals on the spectrumthemselves. We noted that many grandparentsof individuals with an ASD responded and thisPage 14 Autism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011reminds us of the increasing importance of theirrole in supporting not only their grandchild(ren)with an ASD but also supporting their own child inthe parenting role.We were not surprised to find that the featurearticles on topics such as anxiety or bullyingrated as most useful and we noted that readersenjoyed the readers’ letters section and ‘InsideService’ which focuses on a particular child oradult service, as well as the fundraising news andinformation about new products and new items inthe library.We found out that many readers wanted to knowmore about what the organisation does to lobbygovernment on their behalf and what the staff doto keep their knowledge and skills up to date.It is important to note that the overall feedbackwas very positive and that The Spectrum is verywell received and avidly read.• Autism LibraryDuring the 2010-2011 year, The Autism Libraryloaned around 800 items.The collection turnover rate was almost 20%.This is very high, given that the average collectionturnover rate in a public library in Australia isaround 2.5%. This measures the activity of alibrary’s collection, indicating the number of timeseach unit of library material would have circulatedduring the year if circulation had been spreadevenly throughout the collection. It is calculatedby dividing the library’s total annual circulation bythe total library holdings.

AssistingOur MembersThis means that although the collection is small relativeto a public library, it is circulated intensively and itemsare well used.The most popular items have been loaned to users 20times, whilst the most active borrowers have borrowed35 items during the year.The circulation rate is directly related to how many newitems we purchased.The 1000 Book Campaign was launched at the beginningof the 2010-2011 financial year and has received supportfrom individuals and companies with many donationsbeing made, large and small. Autism Victoria is verygrateful to all who donated money or resources to thecampaign to improve the usefulness of the AutismLibrary both to professionals, and to individuals andfamilies.One of the goals of the campaign was to increase theresources available in the library for professionalsand practitioners. Apart from texts, this also includedexploring the possibilities of e-books, DVDs and journals.This is still ongoing, but progress has been made and aspecific Professionals Section had begun by the end ofthe financial year.The Autism Library has continued to operate with apart time qualified librarian providing assistance twodays. Online access to search for and request resourcesenables members to locate items and have them mailedout to them, which is necessary for regional and ruralmembers. The only cost to borrowers is the returning ofitems.• Family CounsellorsThe role of family counsellors has already beenmentioned, but it is important to note that membersof the organisation are able to benefit from three freecounselling sessions over the phone or face to facewith the family counsellors as part of their membershipbenefits.This invaluable service has provided free assistanceduring the 2010-2011 financial year resulting in a savingto members of around $150,000.• EventsThe major event on the calendar during 2010-2011 wasthe Victorian Autism Conference and many individuals,families and professionals took advantage of thediscounted member pricing to attend this two-day eventin Melbourne and all around Victoria. It is a biennialevent and will be taking place again in August 2012.A number of other events took place during the yearincluding Family Information Sessions, provided at nocharge to members on topics such as an introduction toASDs, anxiety and depression and sibling concerns.Autism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011 Page 15

Thank you to our donorsThank you to the followingpeople who donated toAutism Victoria in the2010-2011 financial year:Elaine AndrewsAlphabet Fleet ServicesAngels of KindnessAustvending Pty LtdAayush BarotMadeleine BealeFreda BishopBongiorno & PartnersCollette BurgemeisterMr & Mrs Bert ByleveldCBA OperationsCBA Social Club CharityJosephine CanalsMirella CatalanoCoggergurryMatt Copping YolandaD’RoseJonathan D’RozarioRebecca DuncanSusan DunneDr Richard EisenmejarLinda FoxGannan FamilyAdrian GattGordon GibsonRobyn GriffithsHanmoore FinancialSolutionsKathy HealeyR, B & A HuttonVeronica JacksonPam JensenBronwyn KellettMark KersemakersRalph KoberLakeside Consultants Pty LtdLiz & Ken LaunderMichael LeeThomas LigetiLions Club Bacchus MarshMajellan PublicationsDianne ManningPartick MannixHaig MansourianMaroondah Sports ClubElvira MathiesonRussell McIntoshMelbourne Welsh ChurchChris MelliosMinistry to ChildrenFrank & Maria MizziMoorabbin TimberJenni MyszkaNeelesh NarayanNhill CollegeJanet NichollsRobert NieuwboerSamone NuskeOrion PartnersParish Ladies FellowshipPavia FamilyL PecakovskiJohn PietrykaNorman PollackRedbook.com.auMichelle RichenbergRisby FamilyElaine RobinsonJan RosarioGwenda RuwoldtMelissa SandfordDr Geoff SandyMarco SanelliJacqueline SantilliJamee SchreudersSandra SciliniPeter & Fiona ShepherdAnthony SidariDavid SimsAnthony SiouclisRaelene SmithRussell SmithCraig SproatStihl Social ClubJamie ThorntonGH VarleyVictoria Police BI & PDLan VuThe Wealthsource GroupHelen WilkinsonGlenn WilsonRichare WinnekeJoseph YardinYear 11 Students, SalesianCollege, RupertwoodIn Memory of:Ken BaumgardnerGreg BrajkovicArmida BuccellaAnnie Freeman-RiceMarie KasjanMitchell KeiltyIn Honour of:Russell & AnnamarieTherese GardinerAnd to everyone elsewho has made a donationincluding those who donot wish their details to bemade known.Thank you to those who gave to the 1000 Books CampaignThank you to the followingpeople who donated to1000 Books Campaignduring the 2010-2011financial year:Suzanne AllanAlphabet Fleet ServicesAnne AngeloAutism PartnershipDee BirdBook in HandJan BrentonSL ButhYara ChauStephen Chamberlain-WardDr Melinda ChristophersenCitipowerJennifer ClarkAngela DarlingFinancial SynergyFootprint BooksElizabeth FormbyThe Gannan FamilyGreg Hunt’s WalkKellettAdele Le BretonLions Club RosedaleJeanette McAfeeMarg McAllisterSusanne MeierGeraldine MilesMinister Mary WooldridgeKerry NealSue O’ConnorAlison PhillipsKym PhillipsPyramid EducationConsultantsQcardsResources at HandTrevor RossiGunther RothleitnerLloyd SecombeSMCCAmanda StarkinsStanislav TabainC & C StephanLan VuEllen WarneIsabel & Zoe WebsterG & N WilsonAutism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011 Page 19

Autism Victoria StaffDuring 2010-2011, staffing grew from 21.4 to 23.0EFT.Government funding means that projectssometimes come to an abrupt end and this wasunfortunately the case right at the beginning ofthe financial year, with Early Days bookings beingtaken over by another organisation. We were verysorry to lose Sasha Lilford and Mary Salter whohad run this program effectively over the previous18 months.Murray Dawson-Smith, CEO, has worked tirelesslyto try to move programs from once-off fundingonto recurring funding with a great deal ofsuccess over the past year and the remaininggovernment-funded projects have successfullycontinued.There are still a number of roles in theorganisation on short term contracts and this is anarea that Murray continues to work on to providestaff with a certain level of security.Whilst staff all have their main function, most takeon additional duties or projects, which not onlyprovides them with challenges and interest, butenables the organisation to do much more than itotherwise could. The enthusiasm with which stafftake on these roles is testament to their passionfor the organisation and for the people they helpand is to be commended.Autism AdvisorsThe Autism Advisor team consists of 7.8 EFTstaff including mostly full time and 2 part timeteam members. EmmaDonaldson lead theteam for the first part ofthe year, with the teambeing taken over by LiaCastorina (left) at theend of the year. We wishEmma all the very best inher new endeavours.There have been anumber of staff changeswith Gene-Anne Curtinand Kate Byrne bothleaving with our best wishes to take on the veryimportant role of parenthood, and Cathy Wyettmoving interstate for a new position.New staff, Rhiannon Memery, Claudia Brasse,Kelly Tucker and Carla Stagles have filled the rolesvacated and joined Eliza Skinner, Pia Wrafter andKym Phillips.Funding has been provided for this team fora further 3 years allowing job security for themajority of the roles.Amaze AutismAccreditationThe AutismAccreditationProgram was headedby Julie Robertsonfor much of the yearwith Emma Godsil(right) taking overin the latter part asJulie moved on toa new role in theNFP arena. Our bestwishes go with her.A number of other staff have received training andare able to provide assistance to the AccreditationProgram when required.Amaze Knowledge (RTO)Grace Miano (below right) took over the roleof managing the RTO after working with EmmaDonaldson inthe earlier partof the year andmoving from theInformation, Advice& Support team inJanuary.Information,Advice &SupportJeandre Viljoenmanaged theInformation, AdvicePage 20 Autism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011

Autism Victoria Staff& Support team for much of the year, finally making thedecision to move into private practice just before the endof the year. We wish Jeandre the very best of luck withher business, knowing that she will continue to use herskills to help those with an ASD.Grace Miano took on managing the team late in theyear as the Information,Advice & Support Teammoved into a combinedTraining & Learning teamwith Amaze Knowledge.At the same time, ShawnStevenson (left) becameTeam Leader.We were sorry to loseNicole Comerford, LukeMorris and Sofia Nevesduring the year, all ofwhom stayed in thedisability area, so our lossis the community’s gain.James Keith, Information Officer and Stacey Aroutzidis,Family Counsellor continued in their roles, joined byFiona Ransley and Joanne Templeton (InformationOfficers) and Jo White (Family Counsellor).Iris Xiang continued as Librarian throughout the year.Marketing &CommunicationsA new role was filledduring the year withFran Ludgate joiningthe organisation tomanage marketing andcommunications. Untilthis time, staff havetaken on parts of thisrole amongst their otherduties and finally havinga full-time role has enabled the organisation to tacklesome projects which have been on the backburner forsome time.FinanceLate in the year, we weresorry to lose FinanceManager Susanne Meierwho has moved on topastures new, with AdnanSert joining the teamwith the end-of-yearrequirements arriving soonafter!We are very lucky to havesuch a committed andpassionate group of peoplehere at Autism Victoria. Whilst during this year, we haveseen many valuable staff leave to follow new challengesand feared their loss, we have been lucky to find equallyexcellent people to replace them.Our team continues to provide a very high level ofservice to those we are here to serve, as well asproviding a caring environment in which to work and agreat deal of consideration for each other.We have celebrated engagements, weddings, newbabies, birthdays and many other happy personaloccasions throughout the year and have enjoyed workingfor the good of the whole autism community.Pictured below: (back row from left) Shawn Stevenson, AdnanSert, Rhiannon Memery, Fiona Ransley, Claudia Brasse, KellyTucker, Eliza Skinner, Iris Xiang; (front row from left) JenniferBearham, Grace Miano, Murray Dawson-Smith, Lia Castorina,Emma Godstil, Fran Ludgate.Not pictured: Caetlyn Twentyman, Cath Pettitt, James Keith,Joanne Templeton, Jo White, Stacey Aroutzidis, Carla Stagles,Kym Phillips, Pia Wrafter, Mary Keith.Fran also manages reception and membership, withCaetlyn Twentyman continuing in this role throughoutthe year.Autism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011 Page 21

The Board of GovernanceAt the AGM in November 2010, the followingboard members were appointed orreappointed for the 2010-2011 year.The 2009-2012 strategic plan identifieda need for an effective sub-committeestructure to underpin the performance ofthe organisation and during the past year,a number of sub-committees were put inplace. Details of the sub-committees thateach board member serves on are includedin the details below under “SpecialResponsibilities”.Prof. Bruce Tonge, ChairpersonQualifications: M.B.,B.S., MD, DPM, MRCPsych., FRANZCP, Cert.Child & AdolescentPsychiatry RANZCP.Experience: Professor and Head of the Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Psychologyand Psychiatry, Monash University and Senior Clinical Adviser to the Mental HealthProgramme of Southern Health at Monash Medical Centre. Distinguished record ofresearch, teaching and clinical service in the field of child psychiatry with a focus onmental health problems and intellectual disability, Autism Spectrum Disorders, andanxiety and depression in young people.Michele Carson, Deputy ChairpersonQualifications: Diploma of Fine Arts – Graphic Design, Victoria CollegeExperience: Michele has extensive experience in the graphic design, marketing andcommunication sectors having established and managed a number of successful businessenterprises.Michele is currently active in creating and managing change for organisations, individualsand teams. She works in both the public and private sectors, specialising in organisationalstrategy development and planning, marketing strategy, team effectivenessand performance management.Special Responsibilities: Chair – Marketing and Communications Sub-committeeGraeme Wickenden, TreasurerQualifications: B.Bus., Grad Dip I.T., Grad. Dip. Finance and Investment, FCPA.Experience: Graeme has an extensive career background in accounting and finance,having held a broad range of finance-related positions at GMH, NAB, Dunn and Bradsheet,Aviva Financial Services and St Vincent De Paul Aged Care and CommunityServicesGraeme is employed as the Chief Financial Officer for the Villa Maria Society.Special Responsibilities: Chair – Finance, Audit & Risk Sub-committeeUrsula Smith, SecretaryQualifications: B. Arts, B Social Work, Diploma of TeachingExperience: Ursula has extensive experience in the teaching field with a particularemphasis on the Special Education area. Ursula has worked extensively in both NewZealand and Australia.Ursula currently holds the volunteer position of Deputy Chair of the Frankston CouncilDisability Access and Inclusion Committee.Special Responsibilities: Chair – Social Policy and Research Sub-committeePage 22 Autism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011

The Board of GovernanceCatherine Wyatt, Board MemberQualifications: Bachelor of MedicineExperience: Catherine has been a General Practice Doctor for over 25 years and hasbeen active in the local community having served on her local school council and sat onthe Boards of two Aged Care facilities.Special Responsibilities: Social Policy and Research Sub-committee memberCraig Shallard, Board MemberQualifications: Bachelor of Business - AccountingExperience: Craig has 20 years experience in the areas of tax, auditing, business analysisand banking. Craig also holds formal qualifications in Accounting and has held thequalification of Certified Practicing Accountant. Craig is currently a Senior ResearchAnalyst with the Productivity Commission, Disability Services.Special Responsibilities: Finance, Audit & Risk Sub-committee memberDennis Crowley, Board MemberQualifications: Bachelor of Science (Hons.)Experience: Dennis has extensive experience in senior management roles in both thenot-for-profit and the for-profit sectors. The roles include CEO of ACNEM and generalmanagement within CRODA International plc subsidiaries in France and Australia.Special Responsibilities: Finance, Audit & Risk Sub-committee memberElizabeth Renn, Board MemberQualifications: Masters of Public HealthExperience: Elizabeth is currently Chief Cardiac Sonographer at the Epworth EasternHospital. Elizabeth holds a Masters of Public Health and has a broad range of skills andexperiences within the service sector.Special Responsibilities: Marketing and Communications Sub-committee memberAnne Mustow, Board MemberQualifications: Llb. Bachelor Commerce, Grad. Dip. Applied Finance and Investment(FINSIA), Member Aust. Inst. Co. DirectorsExperience: A Senior Lawyer with 13 years experience with Blake Dawson becoming anequity partner in 2002. Currently Legal Affairs Manager with Bunnings.Special Responsibilities: Finance, Audit & Risk Sub-committee memberAutism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011 Page 23

Dirctors’ ReportYour directors present this report to the members of Autism Victoria Incorporated for the year ended 30June 2011.DirectorsThe names of each person who has been a director during the year and to the date of this report are:Name Date appointed Date of cessation Number of meetingsattendedNumber of meetingseligible toattendProf B Tonge17 Nov 08 - 10 12(Chair)Michele Carson 17 Nov 08 - 11 12Graeme17 Nov 08 - 9 12WickendenDennis Crowley 17 Nov 08 - 12 12Peter Heard 17 Nov 08 24 Nov 10 3 4Anne Mustow 17 Nov 08 - 8 12Judy Hacker 17 Nov 08 24 Nov 10 3 4Ursula Smith 25 Nov 09 - 12 12Elizabeth Renn 25 Nov 09 - 7 12Catherine Wyatt 24 Nov 10 7 8Craig Shallard 24 Nov 10 5 8No director receives any remuneration, directly or indirectly, for serving as a director of Autism Victoria.Principal ActivitiesThe principal activities of Autism Victoria during the financial year were to engage in activities anddo all things that may directly or indirectly benefit, enhance or enrich the lives of people within thecommunity having special needs, particularly those with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. There were nosignificant changes in the nature of the principal activities during the year.The entity’s short-term objectives are:• To ensure all programs are recurrent-funded• To develop a comprehensive awareness campaign• To provide accurate and relevant information, advice and support to familiesThe entity’s long-term objectives are:• To be seen as the key provider of information, advice and support in Victoria on Autism SpectrumDisorders• To be financially secure and resilient and able to represent and advocate for systemic change inservice deliveryTo achieve these objectives, the entity has adopted the following strategies:• To confirm and enhance the role of Autism Victoria as the Peak Body on Autism Spectrum Disordersin Victoria• To ensure Autism Victoria is a robust and functionally efficient organisationPage 24 Autism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011

Dirctors’ ReportOperating ResultThe operating result for the year was a surplus of $24,560 (2010 deficit of $46,650).Review of OperationsSignificant features of the year’s operations have been:• Total revenue for 2010/11 was $2,298,783 (2010 $1,966,081)• Government grants for the year totaled $1,613,775 (2010 $1,624,545)• Donations received were $166,974 (2010 $138,822)• Total operating expenditure was $2,274,223 (2010 $2,012,731)• Salaries and on costs amounted to $1,425,987 (2010 $1,298,708)Indemnity and Insurance of Directors and AuditorsDuring the financial year, the Department of Human Services met all the costs of insuring all Directors, past andpresent, against liabilities for costs and expenses incurred by them in defending any legal proceedings arising out oftheir conduct whilst acting in the capacity of Director of Autism Victoria.During the financial year, Autism Victoria has not paid a premium to insure the auditors against liabilities for costsand expenses incurred by them in defending any legal proceedings arising out of their conduct whilst acting in thecapacity of auditors of Autism Victoria.Signed in accordance with a resolution of the Directors.Prof. Bruce Tonge, ChairmanDated this 2nd day November 2011Mr Graeme Wickenden, TreasurerAutism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011 Page 25

Financial StatementFINANCIALSFINANCIALSSTATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOMESTATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE FOR THE YEAR ENDED INCOME 30 JUNE 2011FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2011REVENUE & INCOME 2011 2010REVENUE & INCOME 2011 2010State & Federal Government Grants 1,613,775 1,624,545State & Federal Government GrantsDonations & Fundraising Income1,613,775 1,624,545166,974 138,822Donations & Fundraising IncomeMember Subscriptions166,974 138,82259,664 73,285Member SubscriptionsInterest Received59,664 73,28567,644 53,731Interest ReceivedGoods, Services & Other income67,644 53,731390,726 75,698Goods, Services & Other incomeTOTAL REVENUE & INCOME390,726 75,6982,298,783 1,966,081TOTAL REVENUE & INCOME 2,298,783 1,966,081EXPENDITUREEXPENDITUREEmployee benefits expense 1,425,987 1,298,708Employee benefits expenseService delivery expenses1,425,987 1,298,708420,330 367,455Service delivery expensesProperty expenses420,330 367,45531,480 35,831Property expensesDepreciation expense31,480 35,83149,052 36,790Depreciation expenseOperating lease expense49,052 36,79084,073 73,134Operating lease expenseCost of goods sold84,073 73,13432,839 10,975Cost of goods soldOther expenses32,839 10,975230,462 189,838Other expensesTOTAL EXPENDITURE230,462 189,8382,274,223 2,012,731TOTAL EXPENDITURENET OPERATING SURPLUS/DEFICIT2,274,223 2,012,73124,560 (46,650)NET OPERATING SURPLUS/DEFICITOther comprehensive income24,560 (46,650)- -Other comprehensive incomeTOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR- -24,560 (46,650)TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR 24,560 (46,650)2007/2008 2008/2009 2009/2010$2,500SOURCES OF INCOME2007/2008 2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011$2,500SOURCES OF INCOMEFinancial Year 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11$2,000Financial Year 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11Government Funding 252,757 906,835 1,624,545 $2,000 1,613,775Government Funding 252,757 906,835 1,624,545 1,613,775$1,500Donations &175,913 135,706 212,107 $1,500 226,638Donations &Fundraising175,913 135,706 212,107 226,638Fundraising$1,000Interest Income 8,347 5,208 53,731 67,644$1,000Interest IncomeGoods,8,347Services &5,208 53,731 67,64449,059 98,257 75,698 390,726$500Goods, Services & Other income49,059 98,257 75,698 390,726$500Other incomeTotal Income 486,076 1,146,006 1,966,081 2,298,783$0GovernmentDonations & Interest GoodTotal Income 486,076 1,146,006 1,966,081 2,298,783$0GovernmentDonations & Funding Interest Fundraising Goods, Income Total ServicFunding Fundraising Sources Income of Services Income Income & OthEXPENDITURE& OtherincomSources of IncomeEXPENDITUREincomeFinancial Year 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11Financial Year 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11Expenses 2011Employee Expenses 274,519 556,641 1,298,708 1,425,987 Expenses 2011EmployEmployee Expenses 274,519 556,641 1,298,708 1,425,987EmployeeExpenseService Delivery 40,588 108,274 367,455 420,3301%ExpensesService Delivery 40,588 108,274 367,455 420,330Cost of Goods Sold 18,628 13,663 10,975 1% 32,83914%Service2%Cost of Goods Sold 18,628 13,663 10,975 32,83914%ServiceDeliveryDepreciation 21,301 20,290 36,790 2% 49,0521%DeliveryDepreciation 21,301 20,290 36,790 49,0521%Cost ofRepairs & Maintenance 9,974 54,697 35,831 31,480Cost of GoodsSoldRepairs & Maintenance 9,974 54,697 35,831 31,480General & Admin 107,182 166,814 262,971 314,535Sold19%DepreciGeneral & Admin 107,182 166,814 262,971 314,535Total Expenditure 472,192 920,379 2,012,730 2,274,223 19%Depreciation 63%Total Expenditure 472,192 920,379 2,012,730 2,274,223 63%RepairsMaintenPage 26 Autism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011ThousandsThousandsRepairs &MaintenanceGeneral & AdminGeneraExpense

FINANCIALSSTATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOMEFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2011Financial StatementREVENUE & INCOME 2011 2010State & Federal Government Grants 1,613,775 1,624,545STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL Donations POSITION & Fundraising AS AT Income 30 JUNE 2011166,974 138,822Member Subscriptions 59,664 73,285ASSETSInterest Received 2011 67,644 2010 53,731Cash and cash equivalents Goods, Services & Other income 914,532 478,584 390,726 75,698Trade and other receivablesTOTAL REVENUE & INCOME15,7592,298,78339,9631,966,081Financial assets 350,000 905,485InventoriesEXPENDITURE37,259 1,429Other current assets 2011 2010Employee benefits expense42,655 104,2571,425,987 1,298,708TOTAL CURRENT ASSETSService delivery expenses1,360,205 1,529,718420,330 367,455Property, plant and 1,613,775 equipment 1,624,545Property expenses105,801 146,87331,480 35,831Other non-current 166,974 assets 138,822Depreciation expense-49,052236,790TOTAL NON-CURRENT 59,664 ASSETS 73,285Operating lease expense105,801 146,87584,073 73,134TOTAL ASSETS 67,644 53,731Cost of goods sold 1,466,006 1,676,593 32,839 10,975390,726Other expenses75,698230,462 189,8382,298,783 1,966,081TOTAL EXPENDITURE 2,274,223 2,012,731LIABILITIESNET OPERATING SURPLUS/DEFICIT 24,560 (46,650)Trade and other payablesOther comprehensive income445,401 711,334- -Provisions 1,425,987 1,298,708TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR88,541 57,75524,560 (46,650)TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 420,330 367,455533,942 769,089TOTAL LIABILITIES 31,480 35,831533,942 769,089NET ASSETS 49,052 36,790$2,500SOURCES OF INCOME932,064 907,50432,839 10,975Donations MEMBER’S & FUNDSGovernment Funding 252,757 906,835 1,624,545 1,613,775$1,500230,462 175,913 135,706 189,838 212,107 226,638FundraisingReserves 2,274,223 2,012,731$1,000 - 221,694Interest Income 8,347 5,208 53,731 67,644Goods, Retained Services earnings & 24,560 (46,650)932,064 $500 685,81049,059 98,257 75,698 390,726Other incomeTOTAL MEMBER’S FUNDS - -932,064 907,504Total Income 486,076 1,146,006 1,966,081 2,298,783$0EAR 24,560 (46,650)ThousandsFinancial Year 84,073 2007/08 2008/09 73,134 2009/10 2010/11EXPENDITURE2007/2008 2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011Financial $2,500 Year 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11Employee Expenses 274,519 556,641 1,298,708 1,425,987$2,000Service Delivery 40,588 108,274 367,455 420,330Cost $1,500 of Goods Sold 18,628 13,663 10,975 32,839Depreciation 21,301 20,290 36,790 49,052$1,000Repairs & Maintenance 9,974 54,697 35,831 31,480General $500& Admin 107,182 166,814 262,971 314,535Total Expenditure 472,192 920,379 2,012,730 2,274,223 63%$0GovernmentDonations & Interest Goods, TotalFunding Fundraising Income Services IncomeSources of Income& OtherincomeExpenses 2011Note: a full set of Autism Victoria’s audited Employee accounts is available on request.1%2%1%14%ExpensesAutism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011 Page 27ServiceDeliveryCost of GoodsThousands$2,0001%2%1%19%2007/2008 2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011GovernmentDonations &Funding FundraisingSources of IncomeExpenses 201114%InterestIncomeGoods,Services& OtherincomeEmployeeExpensesServiceDeliveryCost of GoodsSoldDepreciationRepairs &MaintenanceGeneral & AdminExpensesTotalIncome

Autism Victoria, trading as24 Drummond StreetCarlton, VIC 3053PO Box 374, Carlton South, VIC 3053T: 03 9657 1600W: www.amaze.org.auPage 28 Autism Victoria trading as Amaze - Annual Report 2010-2011