Coroner criticises failures
A MOTHER who killed her autistic son hopes a series of coroner's recommendations are adopted to help families care for disabled children.
A MOTHER who killed her autistic son hopes a series of coroner's recommendations are adopted so help can be given to families struggling to care for disabled children.
Daniela Dawes - who felt abandoned by the government agencies she relied on for help - was suffering from depression when she killed her 10-year-old autistic son Jason and attempted suicide in 2003.
In his findings into the adequacy of government services provided to the Dawes family, Deputy State Coroner Carl Milovanovich made recommendations that could ease the burden of thousands of families caring for children with disabilities.
He found the Dawes were neglected by the Department of Aging, Disability and Home Care when Jason was denied a place at the Ballina Early Intervention Centre.
He recommended Disability Services Minister John Della Bosca earmark funding specifically for services to severely disabled children and their families - particularly children with an early diagnosis of autism - through early intervention programs.
He also recommended that children with severe disabilities being cared for by their parents be automatically assessed by DADHC and a case worker allocated to "assist and support the child and family".
His final recommendation was for a high-level working party to consider the best way of sharing inter-agency information relating to families with disabled children.
"The death of Jason Dawes is one of the more difficult matters I have had to deal with as a coroner," he said.
"I have seen the devastating effect Jason's disability has had on the Dawes family. Perhaps professional, timely and appropriate resourcing at an early stage may have avoided many of those outcomes."
Mrs Dawes said she hoped the recommendations would be adopted.
"This is by no means the end of the process. It's only the beginning for parents out there suffering, so I'll continue to do the best I can for them," she said.
"Parents with disabled children do suffer depression and there is a strong possibility that this tragedy could happen again."
DADHC director-general Brendan O'Reilly said information was being shared with other human services agencies and an extra $1.3 billion would be allocated to disability services over the next five years.