Support for your child at school

If your child is not getting the support they need at school, it can be hard to know where to start.

Students with disability in Australia have rights in education. The Disability Standards for Education 2005 sit under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Schools must consult, make reasonable adjustments, and support students with disability to participate in education on the same basis as other students.

This page brings together practical information for families who need help understanding their rights, requesting adjustments, preparing for school meetings, and raising concerns when support is not working.

I don’t know where to start

A good first step is to understand your child’s rights and what schools are expected to do. These resources explain your child’s rights at school, what reasonable adjustments are, and what to do if you think the school is not meeting its obligations.

Education rights: children with disability | Raising Children Network
https://raisingchildren.net.au/disability/disability-rights-the-law/rights/education-rights-disability

School support for your child with disability | Raising Children Network
https://raisingchildren.net.au/disability/school-play-work/school/school-support-disability

Steps to raise concerns and resolve a complaint with your school | Australian Government Department of Education
https://www.education.gov.au/disability-standards-education-2005/resources/steps-raise-concerns-and-resolve-complaint-your-school

I want the school to make adjustments

Schools must make reasonable adjustments so students with disability can participate on the same basis as other students. Adjustments can include changes to teaching approaches, curriculum, the classroom, support services, or how activities are run. The resources below explain what reasonable adjustments are and give practical examples of how schools can support students.

Reasonable adjustments | Association for Children with Disability
https://acd.org.au/reasonable-adjustments/

School | Association for Children with Disability
https://acd.org.au/information/school/

My child does not have a diagnosis yet

A diagnosis is not always needed before a school can act.

The ACT Government states that reasonable adjustments can be made even if a child does not have a diagnosed disability. This is important for families who are still waiting for assessments, have a child with emerging needs, or have been told to come back once a diagnosis is in place. Schools can look at the barriers your child is facing now and consider practical changes that support participation, learning and wellbeing.

If your child is struggling at school, you can still request a meeting, explain what is happening, describe the support your child needs, and ask the school what adjustments can be made now.

Students with disability | ACT Government
https://www.act.gov.au/education-and-training/life-at-school-and-college/students-with-disability

School support for your child with disability | Raising Children Network
https://raisingchildren.net.au/disability/school-play-work/school/school-support-disability

I need to prepare for a meeting with the school

Meetings with the school can be overwhelming. It is a vital opportunity to explain what your child needs, ask questions, and agree on the next steps.

It can help to write down the main concerns, what has happened so far, what adjustments you are asking for, and what outcome you want. The Department of Education toolkit also recommends keeping records of emails, dates, conversations, and agreed actions.

10 tips for effective Student Support Group meetings | Association for Children with Disability
https://acd.org.au/student-support-groups/

What school should do to help your child | Association for Children with Disability
https://acd.org.au/what-school-should-do-to-help-your-child/

I want to understand ILPs and IEPs

Schools use different names for planning documents. They might be called an Individual Learning Plan, Individual Education Plan, Individual Adjustment Plan, or something similar. These resources explain what those plans are, what they can include, and how families can be involved.

Individual learning plans (ILPs) for children and teenagers | Raising Children Network
https://raisingchildren.net.au/disability/school-play-work/school/individual-learning-plans-ilps-children-teenagers

Individual Education Plans | Association for Children with Disability
https://acd.org.au/individual-education-plans/

Understanding Individual Education Plans (IEP) | Autism Awareness Australia
https://www.autismawareness.com.au/navigating-autism/understanding-individual-education-plans-iep-for-autistic-students

My child is autistic, and I want more tailored support

Some families want information that is specific to autism, school participation, transitions, learning plans, and communication with teachers. These resources bring together practical information for families as well as training and professional learning for educators.

Navigating Autism: In the School Years | Autism Awareness Australia
https://www.autismawareness.com.au/navigating-school-years

Positive Partnerships
https://www.positivepartnerships.com.au/

Parent and Carer Workshops | Positive Partnerships
https://www.positivepartnerships.com.au/workshops-online-learning/workshops

Professional Learning | Positive Partnerships
https://www.positivepartnerships.com.au/workshops-online-learning/professional-learning

The school is not following through or I want to make a complaint

If support is not happening in practice, it is often helpful to start by raising the issue with the teacher, principal, or another school leader and clearly explain what is not working and what change you are seeking.

For ACT public schools, the ACT Government says families should first talk to the teacher, principal or another school leader. If the issue is not resolved, you can then use the Education Directorate’s complaints process.

For ACT non-government schools, families should usually use the school’s own complaints process first. If the concern is about possible non-compliance with the Education Act 2004 or the Non-government Schools Registration Standards, the ACT Government says concerns can be emailed to ngs.concerns@act.gov.au.

If you believe your child has experienced disability discrimination and the issue cannot be resolved, you can also consider making a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission or the ACT Human Rights Commission.

ACT Government school complaints information
https://www.act.gov.au/education-and-training/supporting-education-in-the-act/enquiries-compliments-and-complaints

Australian Human Rights Commission disability discrimination complaints
https://humanrights.gov.au/complaints/complaint-areas/disability-discrimination

ACT Human Rights Commission complaints
https://www.hrc.act.gov.au/complaints

Can AFI help?

Advocacy for Inclusion provides advocacy services to people with disability in the ACT. To access the service, you must be a resident of the ACT. AFI is a short-term, issue-based advocacy service. Intakes are assessed weekly and prioritised based on urgency.

If you live in the ACT and continue to face barriers with your child’s school, you can contact AFI to discuss whether advocacy support may be available.

When you contact AFI, it can help to include:

Your child’s school
Your child’s year level
A short summary of the issue
What support or adjustment has been requested
What has happened so far
Any upcoming meeting dates or urgent deadlines

Accessing our service | Advocacy for Inclusion
https://www.advocacyforinclusion.org/contact-us/accessing-our-service/

Apply for Advocacy Support | Advocacy for Inclusion
https://www.advocacyforinclusion.org/contact-us/self-referral/

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