Actions under the Autism Innovation Strategy
Staff at the NDA are responsible for completing several actions under the Autism Innovation Strategy including action number 82.
Action 82 involves research, including a literature review, to:
- Provide a robust evidence base for neuro-affirmative practice in supporting non-speaking and minimally speaking autistic people to access public services.
- Examine best practice in providing public services to non-speaking or minimally speaking autistic people.
The term “public services” refers to everyday activities funded by the government and provided in ordinary places within the local community. For example, a:
- Post Office
- Library
- County Council Office
- Garda Station
- Health Centre
- Further Education and Training Facility
- Publicly-Funded Arts Centre
- Publicly-Funded Leisure Centre
Purpose of the research
We plan to develop a best practice guidance document which will help public providers to meet the needs of autistic people and disabled people who are non-speaking or minimally speaking and use Augmentative and Alternative Communication. AAC includes any tools or strategies that can be used to solve communication challenges. Unaided AAC involves no tools or materials, while aided AAC can be high or low tech, symbol, or text based.
The guidance will also be useful for businesses and those providing private or not for profit services.
To inform this work, we are setting up two advisory groups.
- The first is a lived experience advisory group made up of autistic people and disabled people who use AAC.
- The second group is a supporters advisory group of individuals and organisation who support non-speaking autistic people and other AAC users in a personal or professional capacity.
Recruitment Call for AAC Advisory Groups
18 June 2025
We are recruiting two advisory groups as part of our work under Action 82 of the Autism Innovation Strategy. The groups are:
- A lived experience advisory group (for autistic or disabled people who use AAC)
- A supporters advisory group (for supporters including family members and professionals)
Advisory group members will inform a best practice guidance document that will help to improve access to public services for people who are non-speaking or minimally speaking. This includes autistic people and other disabled people who use Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC).