Early autism action is vital, regardless of who pays

Blanket, nationalised access to autism therapies and supports are needed throughout the preschool years, the education system and medicine (“Tough love for the NDIS under Butler’s new rules”, August 21). I live with autism spectrum disorder, as do my children. Despite investing around $150,000 in early intervention for more than a decade before NDIS came into existence, and despite great supports and outcomes, it is clear to me that even mild autism is a lifelong challenge. Taxpayers are saved money down the track by addressing it swiftly and efficiently. The NDIS has normalised obtaining timely help. Every dollar spent early saves society hundreds in adulthood. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater or simply move cost centres to dilute visibility and access. Jane Salmon, Killara

Having been a teacher for 40 years, the questions Kim Woo raises are ones I have often asked myself (Letters, August 21). Why this explosion in autism and other areas where being “on the spectrum” (ADHD etc) have dramatically increased? I am beginning to think more about social factors including modern technology. Many years ago we were advised not to let our kids watch TV before school as it competed with the lessons that would follow. These days, kids also have mobile phones and the internet as distractions. Is it any wonder that concentration spans have declined, as well as reading and comprehension standards? But it is tough for young parents with both having to work just to keep up. Family time, reading time and individual attention for each child are much harder to find, and it is this breakdown from a very early age that’s causing problems. This not blaming parents, just a statement of fact. Autism is about difficulties with communication so it seems that more speaking, listening and understanding is required within families from a very early age to overcome what is really in most cases, a developmental issue. It’s all about connectedness. Glenys Quirk, Forster

In the past, there was an “epidemic” of ADHD as pharmacies noted the increase in amphetamine prescriptions. The alarm from some of the medical fraternity was countered with an assertion that diagnostic criteria had improved. The over-diagnosis was maybe not clinically sound, but it made certain practitioners channel children into that diagnostic basket. As a retired GP, a colleague and I have discussed our own traits, which are mildly autistic, and feel that nearly everyone could have some elements of the autistic spectrum. Is over-diagnosis used to placate over-anxious parents to help prove there is something “wrong” with their child, causing them to spend money on long-term psychological therapy and further enhancing the “problem”? Perfect parenting does happen and perfectly “normal” children can be addicted to screens and misbehave. Is the real problem over-protective and indulgent parenting with unrealistic expectations for their children? Dermot Perry, Mount Keira

It would seem that we have been over-diagnosing children with autism. I wonder whether certain interest groups, having discovered the NDIS cash cow, are pushing this for their own narrow purposes, or is Australia really in such dire straits that it’s unwittingly producing autism en masse? Maybe there should be a new push for even more funding to research this problem. Dimitris Langadinos, Concord West

Rise of renewables

It may be the lead story in the Herald’s business section, but it’s such good news it could have gone on the front page (“Record clean energy surge set to break coal reliance”, August 21). The Australian Energy Market Operator’s update on energy investment and reliability is an upbeat riposte to the doom and gloom of climate laggards and the fossil fuel lobby. Of course conditions apply, but the overall outlook that AEMO expects “enough new renewables, batteries and transmission lines will be available to keep the lights on” is most encouraging. It goes nicely hand in hand with Australian Ethical’s full-page ad calling on the prime minister to set a national emissions reduction target of 85 per cent by 2035. Come on, Mr Albanese, let’s catch the wave to a healthy future. Tom Knowles, Parkville (Vic)

The sky is apparently not falling in after all. Nick Toscano writes: “The threat of blackouts hitting Australian homes and businesses once the next wave of coal-fired power stations retire has been downgraded significantly.” Renewables, batteries and transmission lines are doing more heavy lifting. Is gas the next cab off the rank? Gas producers (some of which pay zero company tax) want to keep us dependent on their product; they sell most of our gas overseas and charge us more. Against the plea from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Labor government still allows new coal and gas ventures. We are experiencing “one of the world’s fastest energy transitions” with wind and solar replacing coal. As for the nuclear diehards, forecasts of 10 gigawatts of renewable energy coming online in the next decade really puts a 1 gigawatt reactor in the shade.
Fiona Colin, Malvern East (Vic) South Pole sinking

The looming disaster in the South Pole is not remote from our daily lives (“Antarctic catastrophe looms as ice collapses”, August 21). Our credible and respected scientists tell us that our coastal communities will be seriously affected, and we can expect more intense warming in Australia. Our constantly increasing contributions to rising global temperatures, including scope-three emissions from our coal and gas exports, are indefensible. The government needs to set ambitious targets for emissions reduction by 2035 – and back them up with economic policy. Gordon Stenning, Seaforth

Another catastrophic climate headline. In the face of our changing world, we need our government to show leadership and set an ambitious, science-backed 2035 emissions reduction target and take steps to achieve it. We must ensure we look after future generations and do what is needed to protect our economy and communities from climate disasters. Suzy Bessell, Cremorne

Burden on the young

I’m not a pensioner, but I’m 70 and divorced and have been a renter for 14 years. Like Ken Henry at the economic roundtable, I am appalled at the hardship our children face with high housing prices, HECS burdens, expensive health insurance and more (“The act of bastardry that’s hurting young generations”, August 21). Meanwhile, people of my age receive the age pension while sitting in multimillion-dollar homes propped up by discounted rates and all but free public transport to get them to their golf clubs, which take up vast swaths of residential areas. No wonder there’s a dearth of babies and gambling and drug use is on the rise. What else is there to do when trapped in a small box eating cheap fast food with no spending money, thanks to unmanageable mortgages and rent? If super balances of more than $3 million can be taxed, why can’t expensive homes be an impediment to pension entitlements? Andrew Cohen, Glebe

We need to raise the age of tax-free superannuation to 67. The current regime encourages people of 60 and over to spend up big, ensuring that they will, if they wish, have access to at least a part pension and its benefits at age 67. Aligning the two will ensure that if you take super at 60, there will be some tax, while removing the incentive to raid the nest egg. Michael Blissenden, Dural

The best way to cut red tape is to abolish the states and territories gradually over a period of years. There would be no more conflicts of interest, and no more extensive meetings between federal and state ministers needed. Corporations de-layered their staff many years ago as technology enabled this to happen. Now that would be real political reform. Denis Edleston, Mosman

The photo of Jim Chalmers, Katy Gallagher and Ben Wyatt at the roundtable says everything about the Australia I love (“Ridiculous building code under fire”, August 21). Where else in the world would the country’s treasurer be carrying the coffee for everyone? I just hope he got all the orders right. Mary Williams, Cobargo

The picture of the treasurer with his arms full of throw-away coffee cups suggests that the nation’s finances are in a much more dire state than he has let on. Presumably he can’t afford someone to make coffee for the meeting, or provide chairs and tables for the participants. At least this should encourage speakers to come quickly to their points, as they mill around, cocktail party-style, sipping their takeaways. John Croke, Woonona

Cabals have won

Garry Barnes’ shrewd observations on how politics works in Canberra (Letters, August 20) lead him to a view that I have long shared – that the party system has had its day. The “lost decade” he speaks of under the Coalition, and now a Labor government equally frightened to grasp the nettle, both point to party-political decay. To this we might add the unseemly collusion of the major parties in passing recent electoral reforms to their own benefit, and the appalling machinations of the new government in allocation of cabinet positions – pandering to factional forces, rather than selecting on merit. It is not too much of a stretch to say that political parties are, in fact, antithetical to democracy. The “rank and file” membership (unsurprisingly in decline) has negligible input. A cabal of faceless individuals runs the show, with minimal accountability. Their primary aim is the maintenance of power, with the national interest a distant second. Our future lies with independent members, who can put the interests of the country first. Michael Strickland, Mosman

Rent-a-thug

It is a shame that David Crowe’s article (“They rioted against an asylum seeker hotel”,  August 21) quoted Nigel Farage’s claims that it was the peaceful protests of residents in Epping, England, that led to the court’s decision to prevent the government from housing thousands of asylum seekers in hotels and motels. I have family living in Epping, and they said it was “thugs from elsewhere arriving by the trainload for punch-ups” that were the real problem, not the asylum seekers or the residents. Unfortunately, we often get a similar thing happening in Australia. Janice McLeod, Gymea

Eileen’s Animal Farm

I own most of George Orwell’s works, but I never fully realised the crucial role his wife, Eileen O’Shaughnessy, played in him becoming the major literary figure he is (“Animal Farm has turned 80, but we still don’t know who wrote the best line”, August 21). I am grateful to Anna Funder for enlightening us on O’Shaughnessy’s spirited and fruitful contribution to Animal Farm and much more. Nonetheless, despite Funder’s devastating demolition of Orwell’s character – his alleged sadism, misanthropy and fears – history will continue to recognise this flawed essayist, novelist and critic as a powerful voice against the kind of Stalinist totalitarianism we see in the likes of Putin today and which we continue to have to oppose. Ron Sinclair, Windradyne

Anna Funder gets it right again. Many of the big problems in the world today stem from our “strong man leaders”, including Trump, Putin, Xi, Netanyahu and Modi. They are all trying to project an image of righteousness and strength. We cannot expect to be able to work towards building a more considerate, caring, inclusive world society until we have more female leaders showing us the way. And sure, as with most things in society, a mix of male and female politicians is the ideal. Peter Grey, Belfield

Bargain basements

Thank you, Nicola Redhouse (“Less is more when picking a grocery store”, August 21). After reading all the dire news articles, your amusing musings on completing an Aldi shop made me laugh out loud. In the special buys aisle, “Oooh! A pet cooling mat! I could get a pet and cool it!” Nicola, if you haven’t already heard it, listen to the Lidl/Aldi song by Irishman Mick MacConnell, Lidl being another cut-price European supermarket with the much-loved special buys aisle. Pauline McGinley, Drummoyne

I couldn’t agree more with Nicola Redhouse. Shopping at Aldi is both time and cost-efficient and the quality good, my only caveat being check the use-by date. My grandchildren love to shop with me, but I suspect that is because of the centre aisle full of items they don’t need, but must have. Gordon Lambert, Kiama Downs

Farewell fair friend

At 93 years old, I am writing to say that sadly, after almost 70 years, I must bid farewell to the companionship that your newspaper gave to my late husband and I for so many years. Newly married in 1955, we had the Herald delivered in Sydney until 1964, when we moved overseas. There, we received our eagerly awaited papers by ship every four or five weeks, both of us reading them in sequence to keep up with Australian and world news. Back in Australia, we lived in the Snowy Mountains, then the South Coast, the Northern Rivers and now, as a widow, I have moved to Lennox Head. Poor eyesight prevents me from reading my beloved Sydney Morning Herald in print, but I will try my best to read it online. Thank you for a lifetime of companionship, letters, articles and crosswords. Lenore Phelps, Lennox Head

Court optimist

In the latest round of the Bruce Lehrmann saga, Sue Chrysanthou SC claimed that “a young man who knows that a woman is very drunk knows that she can’t consent, in this day and age” (“Lehrmann has become a ‘national joke’, court told”, August 21). I’d be delighted to agree with her, but the Herald also reported that a bloke was acquitted of raping a young woman too drunk to remember the encounter. One wouldn’t wish to comment on what this says on societal values, but I fear Ms Chrysanthou might be overly optimistic about the gentlemanly and chivalrous behaviour of some young – well, let’s say blokes, not men. Alastair McKean, Greenwich

It was like dodgy old home week reading Thursday’s Herald. The front page presented our dear old Eddie Obeid, followed by that young hunk Bruce Lehrmann, immediately followed by former pollie Dashing “Dazza” Maguire. All I needed was a story on the surprising reappearance of Melissa Caddick to round out a perfect trip in my time machine. Bill Young, Killcare Heights

• To submit a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald, email letters@smh.com.au. Click here for tips on how to submit letters.
• The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform. Sign up here.