How do I choose the right school for my child with Autism?

We surveyed parents of children with Autism. Some had children who had been through the schooling system, some who are still there. Some had positive experiences and some had challenges. These are 5 of their tips in choosing the right school for your child.
For the complete list of all the tips, go to our Instagram page @posabilities_smsf

1. It is important to get a 'feel' for the school. Visit the school unannounced to get an authentic view of the school's values. Ask to speak to the Principal and seek out their understanding of autism & disability. What feeling of empathy did you find? Things happen from the top, so if the top doesn't get it, it's less likely that a level of understanding will filter throughout the school.

2. Ask about their policies, especially about disabled students, behaviour and inclusion. If they don't have a seperate understanding about behaviour for kids on the spectrum, ask them why. Schools where you want your kids to be are the ones that can easily find their policies that support kids living with a disability and to talk about them.

3. Find out what level of suppor tyour child will receive. Will it be in a specific ASD unit/class, will it be in mainstream with support, what support would that be, will they have teacher and aide support, how often etc. These are important questions to ask. Be sure to write down their answers to point to later if you need to.

4. Aides are a vital support for kids on the spectrum. It is equally important that they have the skills to best support your child. You do not want 'hover helpers', kids need eyes from a distance allowing your child to find their own way but with support if and when they need it. Whatever you do, you do not want aides who will do the work for your child! That creates short term joy but long term pain, as your child will leave school without the skills you want them to have.

5. What, how and who is involved in developing learning plans for your child? You need to be very involved, especially in the evaluation. If things on the plan has not happened insist that it is placed back on the plan and addressed. Ensure that these plans are regularly revisited and a minimum of once per year. Teachers should be accessing them all the time.

Get in touch for more information or to share your own tips about raising a child with Autism. We are always looking for new tips and hint to support the parents of kids on the spectrum.