Autism Education Strategy – parents

The Autism Education Strategy celebrates the diversity that autistic students bring to schools and recognises that they have different lived experiences.

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 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.

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