- A dedicated government school for students with disability and high needs. Victorian Department of Education ↗
- Small classes, high staff-to-student ratios and specialist teachers. Some also have allied health staff on site.
- Some states have autism-specific government specialist schools; in others, specialist schools serve a range of disabilities. Victorian Government ↗
- The education department is involved in eligibility and placement, and the process differs by state. NSW Department of Education ↗, Victorian Department of Education ↗
Good for your child if...
- High support needs requiring a fully specialised environment.
- Needs intensive allied health and smaller classes.
- Or mainstream has not met their needs.
Before you decide, know this:
- Eligibility criteria apply, so not all autistic children qualify. Victorian Government ↗
- In Queensland, state special schools are for students with intellectual disability, so autism alone does not qualify. Queensland Department of Education ↗
- No department publishes a standard processing time for specialist school placement. The application involves departmental assessment, so the safest approach is to contact your state education department as soon as you are considering this pathway, even a year or more ahead of the intended start date.
- Quality varies significantly between specialist schools.
- Check eligibility with your state education department.
