Media

The media has an important role to play in shaping and reinforcing community understanding of, and attitudes towards, autism.

Amaze regularly works with the media to share the stories of autistic Australians, to bring important autism issues to light and to build greater autism understanding and acceptance.

The Amaze media team are available to support journalists working on stories about autism and autistic people.

With in-house subject matter experts and a Neurodevelopmental Expert Panel, Amaze is able to provide expert commentary and insight into policy issues, including assessment and diagnosis, treatment and therapies, education, employment, the NDIS, gender and sexuality, parenting and mental health. Amaze can also connect journalists with autistic people and their families for lived-experience insights.

For more information, contact the Amaze Communications Team, at [email protected] or call 03 9657 1600.    

Media kit

Media stories can challenge misconceptions and myths about autism, give autistic people a platform to share their stories and experiences in a positive way, help the general community to understand autism better, and foster greater acceptance of autistic people…or they can do the opposite – reinforce myths and inaccurate stereotypes, and perpetuate negative attitudes towards autism and autistic people.

Amaze has developed a media kit, Talking about Autism, to provide journalists and media professionals with evidence-based information and practical advice for respectful and accurate reporting on autism.

The resource covers:

• What is autism?
• Principles for reporting on autism
• Common myths
• Autism language
• Fast facts
• Image guidelines

Talking about Autism was created in collaboration with, and informed by, the experiences of autistic people and their families. 

We thank The Jack Brockhoff Foundation for their generous support of this initiative. 

Media releases and articles 2021

• New tools to reduce COVID-19 Vaccination anxiety | Media Release | 6 August
• Students with disability and their families suffering under lockdown 4 | Joint Statement | 4 June
• Autism public education campaign urged Victorians to Change their Reactions | Media Release | 30 April 
• Disability sector statement on the Australian Government’s planned Reforms to the NDIS | Joint Statement | 11 March 
• Disability sector statement on the Australian Government’s planned Reforms to the NDIS – Easy Read | Joint Statement | 11 March 
• Disability sector statement on the Australian Government’s planned Reforms to the NDIS – Plain Language | Joint Statement | 11 March 

Media releases and articles 2018-2020

• Amaze Welcomes Victorian Government announcement – Disability Inclusion: Education for All | Media Release | 20 November 
• AMAZE: New Report Shows Autistic Students’ Poor Experiences in Term 3 | Media Release | 22 September 2020 
• Amaze welcomes Federal Government’s committment to NDIS reforms. | Media Release | 28 August 2020
• It’s really very hard’: Concerns for children with autism during Melbourne’s Stage 4 restrictions | SBS | August 2020
• Parents of children with disabilities are struggling to teach their children during COVID-19 | ABC | May 2020
• Victoria leading the way with launch of state autism plan, December 2019
• Amaze’s autism information helpline to go national, October 2019
• Employment study paints bleak picture for autistic job-seekers, March 2019
• Autism community calls on Andrews Government for autism funding, October 2018
• The education system is failing autistic students in Australia, September 2018

For more information

For all media enquiries, please contact:

Amaze Communications Team
Phone: 03 9657 1600
Email: [email protected]