Autism Strategy

In reply to the Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO ().20 March 2024).

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: The Minister for Education, Training and Skills has advised:

The Department for Education is unable to provide data on every autistic child. Records collected in government and non-government schools through the nationally consistent collection of data (NCCD) on school students with disability does not require disability type, but instead reports to a broad category of disability. Autistic students may be reported under different categories.

Many students do not disclose a diagnosis, are awaiting a diagnosis or remain undiagnosed.

It is the Department for Education's position that students should attend school every day unless they are unwell or have an approved exemption in place.

As such, we require schools to follow-up any absence to assess the reason for the absence and the potential for any risk to that student's safety, health, wellbeing and learning.

The Department for Education has flexible learning approaches to suit to different contexts of students. This includes:

the flexible learning options program for young people enrolled in a South Australian government school who have disengaged from school or may be experiencing a number of other barriers to their school engagement

temporary exemptions to full-time attendance

home education

Aligning Curriculum for Competency and Purposeful Transition (ACCEPT), a small-group educational program offering an intensive level of service for government school enrolled autistic students with a range of other complex behavioural needs where each student's program is personalised based on their assessed educational and developmental needs; and

Open Access College.

The government's autism inclusion teacher (AIT) initiative supports over 420 government primary schools statewide to build their knowledge and understanding of autism and promote evidence informed practices in supporting autistic learners. AITs have had access to professional development packages about considering school environment contexts in relation to sensory processing and the impact on autistic learners. AITs have also had further training modules that address how to identify barriers, provide adjustments in an autism-specific context, including the impact of environmental triggers, transitions and prior experiences at school for autistic students.

Current training for AITs is focused on supporting school connectedness, with a focus on peer-to-peer relationships and the importance of recognising, celebrating and promoting the diversity of ways connection can be experienced between autistic and non-autistic students. This builds the skills across our system to establish safe and welcoming environments for autistic children and young people.

A recent review of the AIT initiative has found that this initiative is having a positive impact on staff and students.