NT Department of Education school directory, listing all NT government and non-government schools.
NT schools receive funding allocated on the level of adjustment recorded for each student in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data. There is no separate named parent application, so ask the school what adjustment level is recorded for your child. Extra funding for students needing extensive adjustments also needs a current personalised plan from a multidisciplinary team, made within the last six months, so ask the school whether your child's plan is up to date. NT Government, funding for student inclusion ↗
NT Department of Education contact page, which lists Student Wellbeing, Inclusion and Program Services (SWIPS) on 08 8944 9379 and sesupport.det@education.nt.gov.au. Only your school can make a request to SWIPS, so start with the school.
08 8944 9379Specialist and autism-specific schools in NT
No school or department publishes a standard processing time, so contact the school as soon as you are considering it, even a year or more ahead, and ask to join the waiting list while you are still deciding. This is general guidance from families rather than a published timeline.
Assessment requirements are set by each school, not by a national rule. Aspect, for example, asks NSW families for a diagnosis plus a psychometric assessment no more than two years old, and South Australian families for a second report confirming the diagnosis, so check what the specific school requires.
Fees, year levels and eligibility change, so every school below links to its own page for current details.
Standalone specialist schools
A dedicated campus where every student has a disability or is autistic. Your child goes to that school, not to a mainstream school. Some are run by state governments, some are independent or faith-based, and a few are autism-specific.
NT Government special school
Darwin's primary special school, for children who need a specialised individual program. Nemarluk also runs satellite classes inside several Darwin primary schools, so ask whether a place closer to home is possible.
NT Government special school
Darwin's secondary special school, with a focus on independence and transition to adult life.
NT Government special school
Central Australia's special school, for students with intellectual impairment and complex disability.
Applying in NT
Contact the school principal. NT government schools make learning adjustments for students with disability, and the school can also request specialist input on your child's behalf.
NT schools receive a flat per student inclusion amount plus funding based on the level of adjustment recorded for your child in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data. Ask the school what adjustment level is recorded and what it funds.
SWIPS is the NT Department of Education's own service that delivers disability, autism related and wellbeing support into government schools. It is a multi disciplinary team of senior teachers, psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, social workers and positive behaviour coaches who work with the school, the family and the student. The department states plainly that your child does not need to have a disability to be referred for SWIPS services, so you do not have to wait for a completed diagnosis before asking for support.
SWIPS works on a referral basis and the referral comes from the school, not the family. Ask the principal or the school's inclusion contact to submit a request for service to the SWIPS team, and ask what specialist input they are requesting. SWIPS also manages requests for individual inclusion supports, specialist equipment funding, transport for students with disability and specialist school enrolments.
SWIPS team, NT Department of Education (sesupport.det@education.nt.gov.au).
