Find your local school
Search by postcode in Find my School and filter by school type, including specialist schools.
Support in a mainstream class
Expect the school to record your child's strengths, functional needs and current adjustments through a Disability Inclusion Profile meeting. Disability Inclusion is now in place across all Victorian government schools, and the department is no longer accepting applications under the former Program for Students with Disabilities.
Support classes and special schools
Ask the school about specialist settings and supported inclusion schools if your child may need a different setting. Specialist school eligibility is assessed against the approved criteria for that setting, informed by the Disability Inclusion Profile. The school requests the profile, you take part in the meeting, and reports from your child's paediatrician or therapists can inform it. Supported inclusion schools are new Victorian government schools built to enrol a higher proportion of students with disability alongside other students. They are local schools, but children outside the zone may be prioritised if they meet the school's specialist eligibility criteria.
Autism-specific help
You can explore Western Autistic School, Southern Autistic School and Northern School for Autism. Each is a Victorian government specialist school for autistic students, has its own enrolment information and is listed as a government special school in Find my School.
Who to contact
Start with your school. The Department of Education's published contact number for parents, carers and community is 1800 338 663.
1800 338 663Specialist and autism-specific schools in VIC
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.
Independent autism-specific school
The Melbourne campus of Giant Steps, opened in Kew in 2016, for autistic students with complex needs, with education and therapy in one team.
Victorian Government autism-specific specialist school
An early-years autism-specific government school that prepares students to move on to another setting.
Victorian Government autism-specific specialist school
For autistic students with significant language needs, in Melbourne's south east.
Victorian Government autism-specific specialist school
An autism-specific government school serving Melbourne's north.
Victorian Government specialist school, autism focused
For autistic students who also have an intellectual disability or language disorder.
Victorian Government autism-specific specialist school
Support units and support classes run by the education department
A small class attached to a mainstream government school and staffed by that department, not by an autism provider. Names differ by state, and access usually runs through your department's own placement or access request process rather than the school itself.
Victorian Department of Education placements
Victoria runs standalone specialist schools plus supported inclusion places in mainstream schools. Eligibility is assessed by the department, and findmyschool.vic.gov.au lets you filter for specialist settings.
Applying in VIC
Every child is entitled to a place at their designated neighbourhood government school, which you can check on the Victorian school zones site. Contact the principal and ask for a Disability Inclusion Profile to be completed to activate funding.
Victorian schools receive tiered Disability Inclusion funding, with Tier 3 the highest, student level tier allocated after a Disability Inclusion Profile meeting. Your child's school starts the process with support from your child's allied health team.
Applications go through the Victorian Department of Education and each school. Specialist school placement is informed by a Disability Inclusion Profile, which details your child's functional needs and the adjustments required. Your child's paediatrician or the school can start the process. 1800 338 663 is the Department's published contact number for parents and carers.
Disability Inclusion is now in place across all Victorian government schools, and the Department is no longer accepting applications under the former Program for Students with Disabilities. Specialist school eligibility is assessed against the enrolment criteria approved for that specialist setting, informed by the Disability Inclusion Profile. Start the process early with your child's paediatrician and the school.
