Parents with children on the autism spectrum are up in arms after being told they must move their children to another school beyond Year 10.
Aspect schools, run by Autism Spectrum Australia, are highly sought after specialist schools which cater for about 1000 children across NSW.
Aspect schools primarily offer programs up to Year 10 at which point students are encouraged into mainstream high schools or work.
There are eight Aspect schools in NSW including Aspect South East Sydney School based at Peakhurst and Kirrawee. There are also over 50 satellite classes operated by Aspect in schools across the state.
A Sutherland Shire parent, who did not want to be named, said the Aspect schooling system had been fantastic for his son.
However, he said his son had to leave his current school next year because Aspect were not offering a Year 11 and 12 program.
“It is a great service, the teachers are very good and the support is very good. But at the moment it runs out in Year 10,” he said.
“What we are dealing with here is autistic kids. And change for them – and anyone working with autistic children will tell you this – change is very difficult and they are not comfortable with it.”
He said his son was settled at his current school and he would struggle if he was uprooted and placed in a new environment next year, for his final two years of schooling.
He added his son was too young to be transitioned into work.
“We are not just complaining for the sake of complaining. This is serious. We feel snookered.”
Aspect Education deputy national director Rowena Perritt said they did not offer Year 11 and 12 programs because they were a transition service.
She said it had nothing to do with a lack of funding or classroom space.
“Aspect is not aimed at being a whole-of-life, schooling program,” Ms Perritt said.
“The philosophy behind our schools is to move the students to a less restrictive environment to enable them to further develop their skills and generalise them to the wider community.
“We work with each student throughout their time at Aspect, with the goal of transition into other education or employment options from Year 11.”
Another concerned parent from the Sutherland Shire, who did not want to be named, hit back by saying parents should be given the option to keep their child in the same school beyond Year 10.
“The crux of it is these kids are not being given a lot of options.”
He said change was very difficult for his son who was most likely going to join a local mainstream high school from 2018, which caters for students with autism.
“Autistic kids may seem like they are in their own worlds and that change won’t worry them, but it does,” he said.
“It’s hard enough for teenagers who change schools that are not on the spectrum finding friends and fitting in.”
He said Aspect had tried to accommodate his son by offering him a spot at another satellite class for 2018, but it was a long travel across town and would be the equivalent of repeating Year 10.
The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) has approved some Aspect schools and satellite classes to offer a Year 11 and 12 program. However, Aspect confirmed they were not looking to re-apply for accreditation in the future (to cater for Year 11 and 12 students) and only one satellite class in western Sydney (Springwood) would continue to offer a Year 11 and 12 course next year.
Aspect schools are funded through the commonwealth and state governments, fundraising efforts, donations and school fees.
The NSW Department of Education currently provides more than $1 billion a year to support students living with a disability.
“In 2017, there are more than 1175 specialist support classes for students with autism in regular and special schools,” a NSW Department of Education spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said it was up to parents whether they wanted to enrol a student in a specialist school, like Aspect, or in a mainstream school which caters for children with autism.
“Public schools will give parents detailed advice about appropriate placement options for their child, but parents remain free to enrol outside the public education system.”
