General school supports for autistic children
School support for autistic children should help children participate and learn in ways that work for them. This is good for children’s learning and their social and emotional wellbeing.
Some school supports are general supports. They’re built into the running of the school and include things like:
- staff who are trained to support autistic children
- programs that educate the school community about neurodiversity
- policies that ensure autistic children are included in camps and other extracurricular activities
- policies that encourage autistic children to be part of school leadership or to share their experiences in other ways
- sensory rooms or spaces
- buddy systems
- lunch time clubs.
You can read more about general school support options for your autistic child in these articles:
The Australian Disability Discrimination Act (1992) covers autistic children and requires ‘reasonable adjustments’ in school settings. Our article about Education rights for children with disability has more information. If you feel your child’s needs aren’t being met, you might need to advocate for your child.
Individual school supports for autistic children
Individual supports are tailored for your autistic child. You and your child decide on these supports, in consultation with school staff and other professionals who support your child.
Individual supports include things like:
- student support groups
- individual learning plans
- behaviour support plans
- classroom adjustments and assistive devices
- inclusion and non-teaching support staff
- professional support.
These individual supports are outlined below. If you think any of them might help your child, contact your child’s school and ask for a meeting with your child’s teacher or the school’s learning support teacher.
The school’s approach to supporting your child should be neuro-affirming. This means recognising that brains work in diverse ways and valuing all students equally. It also involves looking at how the school community can embrace neurodiversity, rather than expecting neurodivergent children to behave in neurotypical ways.
Student support group
A student support group (SSG) is a partnership between you and school staff. It should include you, your child, if appropriate, a school representative like a learning support teacher, and your child’s teacher or mentor. It can also include professionals who work with your child, like occupational therapists, psychologists or speech pathologists.
The aim of an SSG is to make sure everyone works together to support your child’s learning goals and needs. The group should meet regularly to plan, put into action, review and adjust your child’s individual learning plan and your child’s support needs. You can bring a support person or disability advocate to SSG meetings.
Note that SSGs are called different things and might work differently in different states and territories. For example, they might be called student support teams or individual education planning teams.
Individual learning plan
An individual learning plan outlines your child’s strengths, learning styles and learning goals for the school year. It describes the supports your child needs to reach these goals and how school staff will help your child. Your child’s individual learning plan will be developed by their SSG.
For more information, see our article on individual learning plans.
Behaviour support plan
A behaviour support plan outlines how school staff will support your child if your child becomes agitated or anxious at school. It includes things like:
- things that might trigger agitation or anxiety
- reasons for the agitation or anxiety – for example, too much noise in the classroom
- early warning signs – for example, your child making fists or pulling at their collar
- actions staff can take either to prevent the behaviour or help your child cope.
Not all children need a behaviour support plan. Your school will develop this plan with you if it’s appropriate for your child.
Educational adjustments and other tools
Educational adjustments are changes to help your child with learning tasks and assessments and classroom environments. These adjustments include assistive devices.
Learning tasks and assessments
Adjustments to learning tasks and assessments can help your child focus and complete tasks. They include things like:
- tasks broken down into smaller steps
- instructions in different formats – for example, videos or pictures to go with spoken words
- instructions for group work – for example, a clear outline of roles, responsibilities, time limits or deadlines
- private rooms or small group settings for tests or exams
- additional working time, rest breaks, a scribe or a support person for tests or exams.
Classroom adjustments
Classroom adjustments are changes to the classroom environment to help your child focus and join in. They include things like:
- quiet zones where your child can go if they feel overwhelmed
- flexible seating options, which might include letting your child stand up
- movement breaks in classroom routines
- visual supports and schedules that help your child know what’s happening next.
Other tools and supports
Other things your child can use to help with communication, participation or learning include:
- noise-cancelling headphones or fidget toys to help with focus
- a visual timer to help with time management
- a communication board, whiteboard or augmented communication device that helps with communication.
You might need to apply for formal permission from your state or territory education department to use educational adjustments for NAPLAN or final school exams. Your child’s school will be able to help.
Inclusion support staff
Inclusion support staff are school staff who support children with additional needs. They include integration or teacher aides and learning support teachers.
Integration or teacher aides
Integration or teacher aides can support your child with classwork or classroom activities, help your child with personal care, or supervise your child if there are safety concerns. Not all autistic children need aides. It depends on children’s individual circumstances, needs and goals. Integration or teacher aides might be called different things at different schools.
Learning support teachers
Learning support teachers have specialised knowledge of and expertise in autism. They work with all staff to help ensure there are policies and practices to support autistic students. Learning support teachers might be called different things at different schools, and not all schools have them.
Non-teaching support staff
Some schools have psychologists, school counsellors, social workers and other non-teaching support staff. These people work with children, families, teachers and other school staff.
School counsellors and psychologists can help your child feel safe, confident and ready to learn. Social workers might be able to connect your family with respite care or help you with housing issues or financial concerns.
You can ask staff about the options at your child’s school.
Professional support
Sometimes you might be able to arrange for your child’s occupational therapist, psychologist or speech pathologist to have their sessions with your child at school. You can ask the school whether there’s a room that can be used for these sessions.
Funding for autistic children at school
In Australia, schools apply directly to state and territory governments for funding to support autistic children.
Funding requires a formal autism diagnosis and depends on external assessment of a child’s support needs at school.
Funds can be used to deliver programs, recruit and train specialist staff, and purchase resources. School staff decide the ways funding is used.
It’s a good idea to talk to your child’s school about funding and support options. Your child’s learning support teacher can be a good place to start.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a national scheme that funds reasonable and necessary supports to help all children with disability, including autistic children. The NDIS does not provide funding for things that are the responsibility of schools and education systems. For more information, see NDIS – Work and study.