- Online or correspondence schooling for children who cannot attend in person. NSW Department of Education ↗
- Every state and territory offers government distance education. Most run their own distance education school; the ACT's program is delivered through the NSW Finigan School of Distance Education. NSW Department of Education ↗, Virtual School Victoria ↗, Queensland Department of Education ↗, Open Access College ↗, WA Department of Education ↗, Tasmanian eSchool ↗, ACT Government, distance education ↗, NT School of Distance Education ↗
- Aspect (Autism Spectrum Australia) also runs an autism-specific program called Aspect Distance Education, delivered through Aspect Hunter School in NSW and Aspect Treetop School in South Australia. It is running now under normal enrolment: Years 3 to 12 in NSW and Years 3 to 6 in South Australia. Call 1800 277 328. Aspect, services ↗, Autism Spectrum Australia ↗, Autism Spectrum Australia ↗
- Aspect is an independent school, so fees apply, unlike government distance education. Aspect, enrolment and fees ↗
- If you live outside NSW or SA, or your child does not meet Aspect's intake criteria, your state or territory program below is the option to start with.
Good for your child if...
- Remote or rural areas without suitable local schools.
- Attending in person is very hard, or complex health needs.
- Needs highly individualised pacing of curriculum.
Before you decide, know this:
- Social interaction needs deliberate planning.
- Not suitable for all learners.
- Government distance education usually requires the department to agree that your child cannot attend a local school, so eligibility is assessed case by case.
- Year levels and intake dates can change, so confirm current availability with the school or your state department.
