Welcome to the Australian Autism Alliance’s December 2025 eNewsletter. The Alliance Board, Members and team wish you a wonderful and safe holiday season and a happy 2026.
It’s a Long Newsletter – Here Are Quick Links
We’ve included a summary of this eNewsletter's sections below. If you’d prefer to skip to the parts that interest you most, click on the links in the headlines below, and you will be taken to that section:
- The Alliance is Against Violence & Discrimination In All Forms
- Season's Thanks to Our Essential Services Workers
- The Alliance Celebrates YOU!
- Holiday Closure 2025/26
- Coping Strategies Over the Holiday Period
- Chair's 2025 Reflections and 2026 Outlook
- Share your Stories and Opinions
The Alliance Is Against Violence & Discrimination In All Forms
The Alliance strongly condemns all forms of violence, racism and faith-based discrimination.
There is no place for racism, hate or violence in our society that targets any group or individual based on their faith, race, culture, or identity. We extend our love, thoughts and prayers to everyone affected, including those in emergency services, at this time.
To our Autistic and Autism Community…
You and others may be feeling anxious and sad owing to recent events, and the reporting of them.
While we can’t change things that have happened, we can change how we and others respond to them by practicing some Psychological First Aid and focus on reducing the feeling of being overwhelmed, strengthening our supports, and connecting to reliable information and services, and choosing what we see and share online and in conversations. Here are three ways to help ourselves and each other:
- Reduce unwanted exposure. Avoid sharing graphic footage and supporting & reposting fear-mongering and unkind words etc. Stop following people who spread harmful material and words.
- Slow down information. Early information is often incomplete or posted by people who are repeating rumours and unverified stories. Prioritise truth from official sources and question/reject gossip.
- Avoid group blame. Condemning all violence and other harmful behaviours doesn’t require blaming specific people/cultures/religions and other groups. This can lead to bullying, racism and other unkind and unfair activities.
If you, or anyone you care for, requires additional support at any time, we advise you to keep this list handy and reach out to the following organisations:
- Lifeline: 13 11 14 or text 0477 131 114 (lifeline.org.au)
- Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636 (beyondblue.org.au)
- Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 (suicidecallbackservice.org.au)
- 13YARN (Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people): 13 92 76 (13yarn.org.au)
- Kids Helpline (ages 5-25): 1800 551 800 (kidshelpline.com.au)
- Men's Line Australia: 1300 789 978 (mensline.org.au)
- QLife (LGBTQIA+): 1800 184 527 (qlife.org.au)
In an immediate crisis or emergency, ALWAYS call 000.
Season’s Thanks To Our Essential Workers!
Season's thanks to our essential workers -we extend our heartfelt appreciation to all those who continue providing essential services and supports over the holiday period, caring for our communities while many take time to rest and celebrate.
If you know of, or see someone working during the Public Holidays, we encourage you to take a moment to express your thanks and let them know they are doing a much-appreciated job in your community.
The Alliance Celebrates YOU!
There is no doubt that many in the Australian autism community have faced a challenging year — one marked by unacceptable narratives, uncertainty, rapid change, and far too often, confusion caused by incomplete or inaccurate information and poor communication. It has been tough, and it is important to acknowledge that reality.
Yet even in the midst of this, something powerful has remained constant: the strength, insight, and resilience of Autistic people and our community.
Throughout the year, the Alliance has continued to represent one strong voice for autism wherever decisions are being made about us. But that voice does not exist without you. Our members, the wider autism community, and our allies have given the Alliance the confidence and authority to speak up — to share your lived experiences, to draw on your survey data, to present your cases, and to bring or at least ensure your voices are present in rooms where autism is discussed and decided.
And now, most importantly, we celebrate who you are.
We honour your courage, your honesty, your creativity, and your determination to be seen, heard, and respected for your whole selves. You are not defined by systems, policies, or challenges — you are defined by your humanity, your diversity, and your right to thrive.
You matter. Your voice matters. And together, we are shaping a future where Autistic people are not just included, but valued, empowered, and proud.
Holiday Closure 2025/26
Your Alliance team will be fomally taking a break from 12pm on Thursday 24 December, 2025 and returning on Wednesday January 7, 2026.
While we encourage everyone to take a break from digital media and other potentially stressful acivities over this traditional holiday period, our website will accept enquiries and other messages during this time, and emails and our social media channels will be checked on a semi-regular basis.
To contact the Alliance with urgent matters over this break, please send an email to: [email protected]. If you do not receive a response within 48 hours, please feel free to follow up with a reminder email.
Coping Strategies Over the Holiday Period
Published studies demonstrate that the Holiday season can be stressful and triggering for many reasons. The best advice we can provide is to acknowledge your state of mind and remember that your wellbeing matters. Reach out for support if you are struggling.
We’re pleased to see that, each year, the internet offers more resources to support Autistic individual and the autism community with resources (click on the links) for coping with feelings and expectations at this time of the year:
- Lifeline: Mental wellness during the holiday season
- Project Kindness: How to protect your mental health over Christmas
- Autism Awareness Australia: Our top tips for a successful Christmas!
- Attwood & Garnett Events: How To Survive Christmas – A Guide For Autistic Adults And Parents Of Autistic Children
Chair’s 2025 Reflections and 2026 Outlook
Pictured above is Jenny Karavolos, the Independent Co-Chair of the Australian Autism Alliance. Jenny, has shared her reflections for 2025 and 2026 outlook below.
Hello and Season’s Greetings from me and my family, to you and yours,
As Australia moves toward 2026, this is a time for reflection.
2025 has been another busy year, with an unpresedented amount of reforms and no shortage of opinions on autism. Yet too often, these narratives overlook the very real and persistent poor outcomes Autistic people experience as they are moved from system to system - falling through the cracks of fragmented responsibility.
For the Asia Pacific Autism Conference (APAC 2025), I presented an ePoster exploring what is needed to lift leadership to a whole new level — one that moves us toward a vertically integrated society, starting with government.
Findings from national reviews and the Senate Inquiry into Autism are clear: disconnected systems, limited autism capability, and weak accountability are producing poorer outcomes for Autistic people and their families.
The solution is shared leadership - across governments and sectors - so the system carries the burden, not individuals. A universal, integrated “right door every time” approach would ensure timely, neurodiversity-affirming supports that can turn on and off as needs change, across the lifespan.
This work is framed around four core elements:
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The problem — fragmented systems and lost potential
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The shift required — moving from fragmentation to integration
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The solution vision — a vertically integrated and accountable society
For the full detail, framework and ePoster, click below.
With an unprecedented number of reforms underway across all levels of Australian government - and more continuing into 2026 - there has never been a more important moment to unite in amplifying our Autistic voices, particularly those with lived experience of autism and co-occurring conditions.
Never have I felt more strongly about what the Alliance represents; we are “Diverse but not Divided.”
Let us continue to raise the tide together, so every Autistic and autism community member's voice is heard, and valued.
As I also shared at APAC 2025, our greatest strength emerges when we celebrate who we are, embrace where we differ, and welcome every perspective with openness and respect. When we uplift all voices — and leave no one behind — we move forward with unity, purpose, and build our collective momentum.
As we look to 2026, our commitment remains clear:
We remain committed to ensuring Autistic voices are central to every policy, system, and legislative change that affects our community. Together, whether you are Autistic, a parent, carer, clinician, policymaker, researcher, or educator and more, your contribution matters as we continue to build a more inclusive, equitable, and just future for Autistic Australians.
In the coming year, the Australian Autism Alliance will continue striving to collaborate more fully with our community and to engage more widely, so that while we are diverse, we are not divided. Together, we step forward into 2026, recognising and uplifting the full diversity of Autistic and Autism community voices and leaving no one behind.
More to come in 2026; in the meantime, take care and make the most of the traditional festive season (however that looks for you).
Jenny Karavolos
Independent Co-Chair | Australian Autism Alliance
PS: Your feedback regarding the Alliance and our activities is always welcomed! My email is [email protected] and I encourage you to send me an email with your feedback or with your request for another way of authentically interacting with you.
Join the Australian Autism Alliance!
We invite you to join the Australian Autistic Alliance as a free member, receive all of our sector news and opportunities to engage with us and government, in meaningful lived-experience co-design and consultation in 2026.
Share your Stories and Opinions
We’re taking this opportunity to thank everyone who has shared their stories, opinions, activities, demographics and all the other things that we have asked you to do for our community. Your time and lived experience is invaluable and take very good and secure care of your responses and contact details.
2026 looks to be another year of change for us all and we hope that you, and anyone else you know who Autistic or part of the Autism community, is able to participate in sharing your lived experience and opinions etc. as we head towards new challenges requiring an even stronger voice for Autism across Australia.
If you would like to be invited to future consultations and surveys, please sign up below (it's free!):
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