Education and Health Standing Committee Inquiry into support for autistic children and young people in schools
Terms of Reference:
- The prevalence of autism in WA and projected demand for support in schools.
- Current support available for autistic students in WA schools, including consideration of how: a. evidence-based practices are implemented across the school system; and b. school supports are co-ordinated with other service areas to respond to the needs of autistic students and their families.
- Strategies in other jurisdictions that support school systems to respond to the needs of autistic students, and the applicability of those strategies to WA.
Positive Partnerships
The Positive Partnerships program to support school-aged students on the autism spectrum provides:
- professional development for teachers, principals and other school staff to build understanding, skills and expertise in working with autistic children
- workshops and information sessions for parents and carers of autistic children, to assist them to work with their child’s teachers and other staff to improve their child’s educational outcomes
- a website providing online learning modules, webinars and other resources, including resources for educational staff and parents and carers in different languages and for culturally and linguistically diverse and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. (www.positivepartnerships.com.au/).
It has been funded by the Australian Government Department of Education through the cross-sectoral Helping Children with Autism initiative launched in 2008.
Summary of Positive Partnerships work within WA since 2016 (to May 2023)
Parent/carer: 54 workshops held. 1144 participants in attendance. Professional Learning (school-based staff). 42 workshops held. 1232 participants in attendance. More than 3600 people have accessed webinars and online modules.
These numbers are significant given the impact of Covid in 2020 and 2021.
Our workshops were held in all 5 areas of the ARIA index (Major Cities, Inner Regional, Outer Regional, Remote and Very Remote).
How we work
Within the state of Western Australia, our work is guided and supported by our WA Planning Group. This group meets quarterly, with representatives from School of Special Educational Needs Disability (SSEND), part of the WA Education Department, Catholic Education WA (CEWA), Association of Independent Schools WA (AISWA), Carers WA, Therapy Focus, and Ability WA. The group provides
suggestions about where to offer workshops based on enquiries that come through their channels for support for both Professional Learning (school staff focussed) and Parent/Carer workshops. Positive Partnership’s staff share with them any queries that come through from specific locations, and seek their advice on areas such as protocols regarding key contacts, current/previous work happening within these regions and diagnosis processes/timelines.
If group members have schools or clients in the areas we are visiting, they share and promote our work with consultants, therapists and the local schools.
Within these meetings, we also have discussions regarding topical conversations happening in WA at the time of the meeting. For example; the changing language in schools and community and how that translates to reporting documents and enrolment; demand avoidance profile increases in parent reports/paperwork for school admission; gender diversity and autism, the NDIS and therapy status in WA, challenges around staff shortages within the Speech Pathologist and Occupational Therapist fields.
Positive Partnerships has a state coordinator based in Perth who manages the implementation of the initiative in WA. In order for our workshops to run effectively, we are supported by a range of people we call ‘Delivery Team Members’(DTM). Delivery Team Members are suitably qualified professionals from fields including education, disability, health and community services who have experience working with educators and families of autistic students. Members can also include those with lived experience as an autistic adult or family members of an autistic person.
The WA DTM team currently consists of facilitators from both metro and regional locations- this was a purposeful choice to ensure that there was a representation from country professionals so that they can share their unique experiences with country and metro participants, as well as share back and promote the resources and workshops with their own local communities and schools. Some of the many benefits to using Delivery Team Members from a range of fields includes:
- Using elements of the content and resources back in their core work, particularly the importance of the home and school partnership
- Learning from one another and sharing back within their professional roles- it is a very unique opportunity to spend time with others from different professions and spaces- teachers, autistic advocates, therapists- everyone is learning from and listening to each other.
- Gaining insight into current diagnostic requirements and NDIS processes and wait-times etc in WA
- Understanding and exploring the range of resources, websites and research currently available
The work of Positive Partnerships is informed and supported by the following groups;
- Autism Advisory Group- A group of autistic adults that provide advice and expertise in content and resource development
- First Nations Reference Group- provide cultural knowledge and support to our First Nations staff on culturally appropriate content, resources, language and engagement
- Multicultural Collaboration Group- a group of people from diverse backgrounds that provide advice and guidance on content, translations and engagement
Below are some key points elicited from a workshop facilitated in 2022 in Bunbury that we continue to reflect upon and support through our First Nations programs;
- A definite lack of dedicated training for Aboriginal and Islander Education officers regarding neurodiversity
- Lack of culturally appropriate tools/resources for Aboriginal families
- This workshop is the first time that they have felt safe to yarn about autism without the fear of judgement
- Autism is not openly discussed within community. There is a shame cultural shame factor involved. Lack of broad knowledge across communities.
- Minimal services available once diagnosed.
- Undiagnosed Aboriginal children often seen as the typical “naughty Aboriginal kids.”
- Aboriginal families scared of getting diagnosed because of incorrect diagnosis against FASD
Positive Partnerships has a comprehensive range of materials for First Nationals families and communities written and developed alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, schools and families across the country. The resources include videos, animations, podcasts, story-telling film clips, taking points for school staff and services providers to have a yarn with parents and carers, reading books, research and stories of the lived experience of First Nations families and planning templates used to gather children’s individual stories. They can be accessed at: https://www.positivepartnerships.com.au/resources/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples.
The contract for the implementation of Phase 4 of the Positive Partnerships program, which began on 1 April 2021, runs to December 2024.
Chris Champion Director- Positive Partnerships