Supporting autistic students

Information and guidance to help schools and parents support autistic students and those with autistic characteristics. Open all

• For schools

• Autism Education Strategy(opens in a new window) – aims to improve educational outcomes and supports for autistic students. Also to foster inclusive school communities that welcome them and their families, and value their contribution.
• The I CAN Education(opens in a new window) site provides practical tools and guidance for neurodivergent students, parents and carers and teachers to support Disability Inclusion reforms.

What is autism?

• Understanding autism(opens in a new window) – information about autism and teaching autistic students.
• Supporting autistic girls at school – This Yellow Ladybugs webpage provides a helpful overview of autism and breaks down misconceptions about autism and gender.

Supporting autistic students

• How to recognise autistic students’ strengths and abilities and how they may impact their learning(opens in a new window).
• Understanding Executive Functioning – These videos and tip sheets provide valuable insight into the lived experience and feelings of young Autistic people, as well as practical strategies young people can use to build their executive functioning skills. These resources would be useful for Autistic students, teachers, and parents.
• Executive functioning: Flexible thinking, self-monitoring and managing distractions.

Creating inclusive school communities

The AllPlay Learn team at Monash University has created a new suite of resources on how to create Inclusive School Communities(opens in a new window) where you will find evidence-informed guides and resources that support everyone in the school community to feel included and to be inclusive. This includes specific resources for schools(opens in a new window).

Supporting successful transitions

• For primary teachers: supporting autistic students’ transition to secondary school(opens in a new window) – autistic students can face extra challenges in transitioning from primary to secondary school and will need support.
• For secondary teachers: supporting autistic students’ transition to secondary school(opens in a new window) – how to develop transition plans for incoming autistic students.
• Timeline and checklist to create a transition plan for autistic students(opens in a new window).
• Early Childhood Transition – advice and resources to help educators plan for transition out of early childhood settings.
• More resources available to support transitions on the Teaching Resources of the Diverse Learners Hub
• Neurodivergent mentors from I CAN share tips on starting Year 7 in The Neurodivergent Students’ Guide to Starting High School(opens in a new window).

Behaviour support

• Student behaviour(opens in a new window) – advice, guidance and resources to create positive climates for learning and how to support student behaviour.
• Emotional regulation: tips for autistic teens(opens in a new window) – videos with practical strategies for independent secondary students to build their emotional regulation skills.
• Guided functional behaviour assessment tool(opens in a new window) – designed to help understand, respond to and prevent frequent minor behaviours.

Understanding and preventing bullying

• Lunchtime clubs help build student engagement, social skills and inclusion for all students. They support students who may struggle with lack of structure in the school playground. Advice on how you might set up lunch time clubs at your school is available here.
• Supporting student anxiety - This resource helps students and teachers reflect on early signs of feeling anxious, triggers and contributors to anxiety, and strategies that may help.
• Positive Partnerships - Wellbeing and Resilience resource looks at how autism may have direct impacts on the individual’s ability to develop and maintain positive wellbeing and resilience.
• Disability-friendly schools offer advice, videos, guidance and other resources to help all members of the school community to prevent and respond to bullying of students with disabilities.
• Bullying Kids Helpline helps students understand what bullying is, why it happens, and what to do if they or someone else is being bullied.
• Mentoring support for autistic students(opens in a new window) – provides group mentoring for autistic young people through school and online programs in a safe and supportive environment.

Social support

• Practical tools and information sheets to support students with 2-way communication, interaction and connection with others.

Communication

• Understand different ways autistic people communicate and strategies to support communication.

Assistive technology

• Equipment boost for schools – guides to support schools to identify, purchase and implement inclusive equipment and assistive technology that will best meet the needs of their students.

• For parents

• Find out how Disability Inclusion(opens in a new window) is providing more support for more students with disability and diverse learning needs. You’ll find information and guidance about the new assessment profile process and how schools can support your child.
• Autism Education Strategy(opens in a new window) – aims to improve educational outcomes and supports for autistic students. Also to foster inclusive school communities that welcome them and their families, and value their contribution.
• The I CAN Education site provides practical tools and guidance for neurodivergent students, parents and carers and teachers to support Disability Inclusion reforms.

About autism

• Understanding autism(opens in a new window) – what autism means for your child’s education and where to find support and advice.
• Getting your child assessed for autism(opens in a new window).
• Programs and resources to support autistic students at school(opens in a new window).
• Resources and tips for parents and carers of an autistic child or young person(opens in a new window).
• Supporting Autistic Girls At school – This Yellow ladybugs website provides a comprehensive guide to supporting autistic girls at school.
• The benefits of Inclusive Education – these short videos developed by Amaze in partnership with the Department of Education help explain what inclusive education is and how schools can break down barriers to ensure all students, including autistic students, are able to engage in learning.
• Understanding Executive Functioning – These videos and tip sheets provide valuable insight into the lived experience and feelings of young Autistic people, as well as practical strategies young people can use to build their executive functioning skills. These resources would be useful for Autistic students, teachers, and parents.

Inclusive communities for families

The AllPlay Learn team at Monash University has created a new suite of resources on how to create Inclusive School Communities(opens in a new window) where you will find evidence-informed guides and resources that support everyone in the school community to feel included and to be inclusive. This includes specific resources for families(opens in a new window).

Bullying

• Bullying Kids Helpline helps students understand what bullying is, why it happens, and what to do if they or someone else is being bullied.
• Lunchtime clubs help build student engagement, social skills and inclusion for all students. They support students who may struggle with lack of structure in the school playground. Advice on how you might set up lunch time clubs at your school is available here.
• Disability-friendly schools offer advice, videos, guidance and other resources to help all members of the school community to prevent and respond to bullying of students with disabilities.

Mental health and wellbeing

• Wellbeing and resilience(opens in a new window) – help your child develop a positive sense of wellbeing and the skills to work through difficulties.
• Internalising And Hidden Anxiety – Yellow Ladybugs provides information and advice to help identify and support anxiety in autistic girls
• Yellow Ladybugs: Supporting the Mental Health of Autistic Girls and Gender diverse Young People – This resource unpacks the complexities of mental health and wellbeing of autistic girls and gender diverse students. It provides practical strategies to help parents and schools to support improved mental

Emotion and behaviour support

• Autism and self-regulation(opens in a new window) – supporting children to self-regulate.
• Emotional regulation: tips for autistic teens(opens in a new window) – share these tips with your teens to help them regulate their emotions.
• Emotion and movement series(opens in a new window) – fun ways to help you child express and regulate their emotions.

School transitions

• Transitions information for Parents– support materials and resources to help parents prepare their child for transitions from early childhood, primary, secondary school and beyond, and for transitions between schools.
• For parents and carers: preparing to start secondary (opens in a new window)– tips to support autistic children with the transition to secondary school.
• Supporting transition in the secondary years and beyond(opens in a new window) – supporting older students through the transitions and changes of high school and post-school options.
• Neurodivergent mentors from I CAN share tips on starting Year 7 in The Neurodivergent Students’ Guide to Starting High School(opens in a new window).

• For students

Inclusive communities for students

The AllPlay Learn team at Monash University has created a new suite of resources on how to create Inclusive School Communities(opens in a new window) where you will find evidence-informed guides and resources that support everyone in the school community to feel included and to be inclusive. This includes specific resources for students(opens in a new window).

Student stories, tips and support

• The I CAN Education(opens in a new window) site provides practical tools and guidance for neurodivergent students, parents and carers and teachers to support Disability Inclusion(opens in a new window) reforms.
• Humans on the spectrum(opens in a new window) – stories, experiences and insights from young autistic people about their school and post-school lives.
• I am… an autistic person(opens in a new window) – resources to help you through all stages of your life as an autistic person.
• Teenagers: shaping the future of autism(opens in a new window) – resources to help you through your teenage years as an autistic person.
• Emotional regulation: tips for autistic teens(opens in a new window) – how to name, respond to and manage feelings and behaviour.

School transitions

• Neurodivergent mentors from I CAN share tips on starting Year 7 in The Neurodivergent Students’ Guide to Starting High School(opens in a new window).

• Further support

• The Queensland Autism Hub(opens in a new window) – provides evidence-based information, support and advice to assist parents and schools to improve learning for autistic students.
• AllPlay Learn(opens in a new window) – helps create inclusive education environments for children and young people with developmental challenges and disabilities.
• Autism CRC(opens in a new window) – guidance to develop and deliver evidence-based support through collaboration with the autism community, research organisations, industry and government.
• Amaze(opens in a new window) – the peak body for autistic people and their supporters in Victoria.
• I CAN Network(opens in a new window) – autistic-led programs for young people and organisations.
• Positive Partnerships(opens in a new window) – a national project funded by the Australian Government working with families, educators and communities to strengthen positive outcomes for autistic young people.
• inclusionED(opens in a new window) – an online professional learning community, co-designed with educators for educators. It provides free evidence-based and research-informed teaching practices and tools to support diverse learners in inclusive classrooms.
• Yellow Ladybugs – an autistic-led non-government organisation dedicated to the happiness, success and celebration of autistic girls and women and gender-diverse individuals.

Education & training

Updated 26 March 2026

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