Find your local school
Use the interactive map of Tasmanian government schools to find your local school.
Support in a mainstream class
Ask what adjustments are recorded for your child, and tell the school which adjustments you and your child believe would help. The Educational Adjustments Disability Funding Model gives schools extra resources based on the adjustments your child needs rather than a diagnosis category. Schools also use their School Resource Package, and the school leads the process.
Support classes and special schools
Ask your school which support classes or special school options may suit your child.
Who to contact
Start with your school. Contact Learning Services on 03 6166 9150 or learning.services@decyp.tas.gov.au. For questions about the funding model, email disabilityprograms@decyp.tas.gov.au.
03 6166 9150Specialist and autism-specific schools in TAS
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.
Tasmanian Government support school
A standalone support school for students who need an extensive level of educational adjustment. Placement is by nomination through the department.
Tasmanian Government support school
Launceston's standalone support school, with placement made through the department's nomination process.
Tasmanian Government support school
The north west's support school, with campuses in Burnie and Devonport, supporting students with moderate to severe disability from Kindergarten through to Years 11 and 12.
Applying in TAS
Most Tasmanian students with disability attend their local school. Contact the principal directly and ask for the adjustments your child needs to be recorded under the Educational Adjustments Disability Funding Model, which is the process behind classroom support in Tasmanian government schools. Resourcing follows the level of adjustment provided rather than the diagnosis label.
Tasmania has three Support Schools, one in each region: Southern Support School (Hobart), Northern Support School (Launceston and Devonport campuses) and North West Support School (Burnie). Placement is not an ordinary enrolment. A student is nominated once a year using the Nomination for Placement at a State Support School form, and the nomination does not guarantee a place. Before nominating, families must visit both the Support School and their local school and meet the principal or senior staff. The form records your child's current level of educational adjustment, so speak with your current school and allied health team first. The department does not publish a standard processing time, so start as soon as you are considering the pathway.
Eligibility is assessed through the department's Nomination for Enrolment in a State Government Support School procedure and is based on a significant level of disability and need, typically described as moderate to severe intellectual disability, severe physical disability, or moderate to severe autism, alongside an extensive recorded level of educational adjustment. The detailed criteria sit in the department's procedure rather than on the public page, so confirm your child's situation with the Support School and the department before nominating.
Tasmanian support for students with disability page, which lists Learning Services on 03 6166 9150 and learning.services@decyp.tas.gov.au.
