13/09/2025
An open letter to Dr Mike Freelander MP regarding his recent comments on Channel 7.
Dear Dr. Freelander,
I would like to begin by stating that I have always had the utmost respect for you both as a medical professional and as a politician. As a little girl I sat in your rooms and felt cared for, as a professional I looked up to you and as a mother I was devasted when you went to Canberra. I knew our country was lucky to have you, but I was selfishly sad that my children wouldn’t have you as their paediatrician.
Your recent comments in the Channel 7 interview about Autism diagnoses were deeply disappointing to me. As someone who grew up in Campbelltown, I know that families trust you and professionals respect you, so when did you decide to turn your back on us?
Accusations that practitioners are falsely diagnosing children with Autism or bumping up their support needs to get them onto the scheme are insulting to the professionals working in this space and harmful to autistic children and their families. Can I claim that this has never happened? Of course not, I have not been in every room where a diagnosis has been made. If anyone is aware of this happening those professionals should of course be reported to AHPRA. I wonder though, do you have evidence of this false or exaggerated diagnoses? Has it been witnessed or corroborated by data?
The rate of Autism diagnosis has of course increased. This has nothing to do with a push to get children onto the NDIS and everything to do with the remarkable progress our field has made in the last 10 years. I am proud of this increase on behalf of my profession, we are getting better at identifying and supporting Autistic children and that is a good thing!
There is some data to indicate that this increase has correlated with the introduction of the NDIS but that data was not peer reviewed and correlation does not equal causation (did you know that the increase in autism diagnoses also correlates with an increase in avocado consumption? Taylor Swift album sales? Trump presidencies?) Our field is not guided by correlational data in this way for very sensible reasons.
Here is what the peer reviewed data does tell us about the increasing rate of Autism diagnoses:
• The prevalence rate has also increased in the United Kingdom and the United States along with many other countries (these countries do not have an NDIS or equivalent).
• The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children showed that children born in 2003 and 2004 have higher rates of autism diagnoses than those born in 1999 and 2000 yet had fewer social, emotional, or behavioural challenges. This shows we are getting much better at identifying children at a younger age which is leading to better outcomes.
• There is a growing body of research around how autism presents in girls, gender diverse folk and those from CALD backgrounds when previously these children would not have been identified due to gender and cultural differences.
• Previously, there was diagnostic overshadowing of Autism by Intellectual Disability. In the past many Autistics were incorrectly diagnosed as intellectually disabled or had autism dismissed because intellectual disability was the more prominent presentation. Now that we are correcting for this, the rate of individuals on the scheme with ‘autism’ listed as a primary disability has increased, however, there has also been a decrease of ‘intellectual disability’ listed as primary disability.
• As you are likely aware, prior to the release of the DSM V in 2013 it was believed that someone could only be diagnosed with Autism or ADHD, not both. With the release of the new manual, practitioners were able to apply both diagnoses to one person. Further research since this time has shown that it is statistically quite likely that someone with ADHD will also be Autistic and vice versa. This means that children being diagnosed today whose ADHD traits may previously have overshadowed their Autism can now receive both diagnoses, and rightly so. Many teenagers and adults who were diagnosed before 2013 are also now returning to services to find that the dual diagnosis better explains their presentation.
All of this is to say, those of us working in the field are not being deceptive or inflating numbers, we are just getting better and better at identifying Autism based on strong, peer reviewed evidence.
I do hope you consider the evidence before you and retract the statements made on channel 7 this week. I agree the NDIS is broken and in desperate need of reform, but Autistic children, their families and the practitioners who support them are not to blame and we are tired of being thrown under the bus.
Kindest regards,
Lisa Boland
Registered Psychologist
BA (Psych) PGDip (Psychology)
PSY0001031378
