Autism Education Strategy – parents

Building the Education State means creating great schools that are inclusive of every student that enters through the school gate.

The Victorian Government has committed more than $19 million over four years to deliver the Autism Education Strategy. The strategy will improve learning and wellbeing outcomes for autistic students. It will build inclusive school communities that welcome and value autistic students and their families.

The strategy is part of Disability Inclusion, the Victorian Government’s nearly $1.6 billion investment into inclusive education. It will help make sure children and young people with disability, including autistic students, are welcomed and engaged so that they can participate and achieve their full potential at school and in life.

The strategy complements and aligns with the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes(opens in a new window) (FISO 2.0) which is the framework for all Victorian government schools to focus on student learning and wellbeing outcomes.

We want school communities to:

place autistic students at the centre of decisions.
celebrate autism inclusion.
raise awareness of the diverse learning and wellbeing needs of autistic students.

Autism inclusion will be part of your child’s education through many programs so that:

autistic students feel valued and connected at school and get the support they need to meet their goals.
your family feels confident in the support your child gets from their school and you are engaged and involved in important decisions about their education.
teachers and school staff have the skills to teach and support autistic students and foster an inclusive and positive environment at school.
the education system is accountable for improving educational outcomes and supports for autistic students.

Autism Education Strategy

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Autism Education Strategy Plain text version

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6 pillars

The following six areas of focus (or 'pillars') will be used to help to achieve inclusion

The department will:
- help school leaders and teachers create inclusive and welcoming environments for autistic students.
- support their staff and students to increase knowledge of, and appreciation for, autism.
You will see:
- students feel more connected with their teachers and school.
- families are more confident their child is welcome, valued and supported at school.
- schools providing a better inclusive and positive environment for autistic students.
The department will:
- build the skills of school leaders and staff in inclusive education, autism inclusion and legal obligations related to autistic students in a coordinated way.
You will see:
- students have improved learning outcomes through better educational support that suits their needs.
- families are more confident that their school leaders and staff are meeting their child’s needs and goals.
- school staff are more capable of providing inclusive education to autistic students.
The department will:
- support schools, students, their families and professionals to plan for autistic students’ education
You will see:
- students are more engaged in planning decisions about their education and support.
- families are more engaged in decisions about their child’s education and support.
- school staff have increased knowledge and resources to undertake education and support planning.
The department will:
- provide specialist programs and resources to support autistic students’ social and emotional development, positive behaviour and mental health.
You will see:
- students feel a stronger sense of belonging at school.
- families are more confident that their child’s health and wellbeing needs are being met.
- school staff are more capable and confident in tailoring teaching methods and supports to meet student needs.
The department will:
- use a strengths-based approach to identify and meet autistic students’ needs and support their transitions.
You will see:
- students have better tailored supports and programs.
- families are more involved in strengths-based discussions with teachers.
- school staff are more knowledgeable and supported to meet the educational needs of students.
The department will:
- improve data collection and information management to better understand the outcomes of students with disability, including autistic students.
You will see:
- students have improved learning through educational programs that are informed by data and evidence.
- families feel more confident that evidence informs planning for their children.
- school staff are more informed through greater collection and tracking of data and outcomes for autistic students.

The Diverse Learners Hub

The Diverse Learners Hub is a major part of the Autism Education Strategy. It supports all 6 of the strategy's areas of focus.

The Hub is a centre of excellence that supports schools to better support and teach diverse learners, with a focus on autistic students. It also includes resources, tools and guidance on diverse learning for parents and students.

Monitoring

There are programs and initiatives that will support each pillar. These will keep growing and changing to best support autistic students.

The department will check the progress of each pillar by:

building and tracking data to measure progress for students with disability
reviewing how the initiatives are helping to deliver the strategy
staying up-to-date with the latest research and best practice
listening to students and their families to make sure the strategy meets their needs.

The Autism Education Strategy Advisory Group helps guide the strategy. School leaders, regional staff, and autism researchers are part of the group. It also has people from autism advocacy and autistic-led organisations.

Further resources and support

Amaze(opens in a new window) is the peak body for autistic people and their supporters in Victoria and provides information and resources to autistic people, families, professionals, government and the wider community.

All Play Learn(opens in a new window) helps to create inclusive education environments for children and young people with autism and other disabilities through practical online information, courses and resources for teachers, as well as information and resources for parents, children and the community.

Positive Partnerships(opens in a new window) is a national project funded by the Australian Government working with parents, carers and educators of school-aged children with autism to provide current, relevant and evidence informed information through workshops and online resources.

Yellow Ladybugs(opens in a new window) is an autistic-led organisation that supports autistic girls, women and gender diverse individuals. They have also developed a resource for supporting autistic girls at school(opens in a new window).

I CAN Network(opens in a new window) is an autistic-led organisation that provides autistic-led group mentoring programs, training and consultancy programs for autistic young people.

Contact us

For general enquiries about the Autism Education Strategy and Disability Inclusion reforms, email disability.inclusion@education.vic.gov.au.

Education

Updated 20 February 2024