Schooling Options

Education options in Australia could be divided into public and private schools, with the private sector encompassing catholic and other independent schools.

Public Education

Public education is administered at a state government level therefore options can vary from state to state. Take the time to peruse the website of the education department in your state in order to get to know what options are available in your area.

The NSW Department of Education has produced a useful publication called 'Who's Going to Teach My Child' which is available online, go to: http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/schoolsweb/studentsupport/programs/lrngdificulties/whoteach.pdf.

Within the public education system individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders may have several options

1. Regular classroom placement (with or without some teacher's aide assistance).
2. Placement in a support class which may be:
   1. Autism specific
   2. IO for moderate Intellectual impairment
   3. IM for mild intellectual impairment
   4. Multi-categorical with a mixture of disabilities
3. Placement in a School for Specific Purposes (SSP) also known as a 'special school'.

For more information about choices in the public education system in NSW go to: http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/studentsupport/programs/disability.php or visit the department of education website in your state.

Other useful public education websites:

Department of Education and Training (DET)

Department of Education and Training: Disability Services

Private Education

Private education encompasses catholic schools and other independent schooling options. Similarly to public education, a child may attend a private school with or without the support of an aide. There are also some private special school options. Unlike the public education system which is mandated to provide an education option to a child with an ASD, access to private education is at the discretion of the principal of the school or other governing body such as the local catholic diocese.

Aspect

Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) operates six schools catering for children 4 to 16 years in New South Wales, located in the Sydney metropolitan region, the Hunter region, the Central Coast region and the South Coast. Aspect also operates over 50 satellite classes within mainstream schools across the state. Some outreach and early intervention services are also available to schools on a fee-for-service basis.

Visit the website

Diocese of Sydney

Contact Debbie Gilmore: Head Office (02) 9568 8209 debbie.gilmre@ceosyd.catholic.edu.au
Inner West: Jenni Trew (02) 9643 3650 jenni.trew@ceosyd.catholic.edu.au
South Sydney: Mary Cloren (02) 9772 7000 mary.cloren@ceosyd.catholic.edu.au
East Sydney: Vanessa Smith (02) 8344 3000 vanessa.smith@ceosyd.catholic.edu.au

Diocese of Parramatta

There are 76 Catholic schools (54 primary and 22 secondary) in the Diocese of Parramatta. Contact the Catholic Education Office on (02) 9840 5600.

Visit the website

Diocese of Broken Bay

The Diocese of Broken Bay has 43 schools and stretches from Willoughby to the Central Coast. Danny Rankin: Head of Special Needs team (02) 9847 0384 or call (02) 9 847 0000
The Diocese has two independent special needs schools:
St Lucy's, Wahroonga, K to 6, (02) 9487 1277
St Edmonds, Wahroonga, years 7 to 12, (02) 4324 5300

Visit the website

Catholic Education

All dioceses in the Sydney region advise parents to contact their local parish school in the first instance, about one year ahead of placement. Wherever appropriate, students are placed in an inclusive mainstream setting. Some schools have special needs teachers and some limited teacher's aide time may be allocated. All dioceses have some satellite classes run by Aspect.

Macquarie University Special Education Centre (MUSEC)

Located within the grounds of Macquarie University in North Ryde this small school of approx 45 students K-6 has a focus on academics.

Visit the website

Woodbury Autism Education and Research

Woodbury, located in Baulkham Hills, is an independent school for children with Autism aged 4 to 15 years. The school offers Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) programs to each child, as well as complying with all Board of Studies requirements.

Visit the website

Giant Steps

Giant steps school is located in Gladesville, Sydney and caters for students up to 18 years who have a primary diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and associated developmental delay.

Visit the website

Association of Independent Schools

Visit the website