For some Autistic students and their families, such as those living in rural or remote areas, or those whose needs are not met by traditional schooling, online schooling can be a more effective and personalised alternative. Aspect Distance Education has been designed with over 60 years of experience in autism-specific education.
Aspect Distance Education is suitable for students:
Our enrolment process includes an interview with students and families to assess the best education pathway for your child.
Learn more about student and parent experiences in the program
Yes. students living in NSW follow the NSW Curriculum and students living in SA follow the Australian Curriculum.
The high school program (NSW only) offers a Life Skills curriculum for students unable to access mainstream outcomes.
Students must have:
These tools are essential to engage in daily online lessons, submit work, and interact with teachers.
An environmental audit will be conducted to ensure the workspace is conducive to learning.
Aspect teachers explicitly teach safety each term. Inappropriate behaviour in online sessions may lead to:
Each student must have an adult on-site supervisor (typically a parent or carer) who:
Parents and carers will be required to participate in meetings, respond to school communications, Connection Days and information sessions.
Yes, students have regular opportunities to connect socially, including:
Social interaction is seen as vital and is built into the program in both structured and flexible ways.
Student progress is monitored through:
The program is partially government-funded. However, school fees apply to cover the additional costs of the autism-specific model.
Aspect also offers:
These can be organised separately to the school program.
Aspect Distance Education operates 5 days per week and follows a structured school day. The day typically starts with a daily morning meeting:
During this meeting, the teacher:
Students then participate in scheduled group and one-on-one lessons throughout the day. Lessons are recorded and can be watched at a later date if the student is unable to attend the scheduled lesson time.
Students are invited to attend in-person events throughout the school year, even though their regular learning takes place online. These events are designed to support social interaction, curriculum enrichment, and post-school planning.
Key opportunities include:
Parents or on-site supervisors must accompany students to these events, ensuring comfort, safety, and participation. Attendance is highly encouraged, and all activities are planned with autism-specific supports in mind.
Distance Education is available for years K-12 in NSW and for years 3-6 in SA.
Aspect Distance Education is currently only available for students residing in NSW or SA. We're exploring opportunities to expand Aspect Distance Education to other states as demand grows. If you'd like to be kept informed, please register your interest at distanceed@autismspectrum.org.au
This is very dependent on the student and their specific context. Aspect Distance Education was initially created as a transitionary setting, allowing students to receive appropriate support to transition back into face-to-face schooling . As the program has grown, our experience has shown us that for some students, online learning is the environment that is most appropriate for them, where they learn best and continue to thrive.
Yes. Teachers mark the roll daily following scheduled group lessons.
Attendance includes engagement in online and offline learning, submission of work, and participation in excursions or Connection Days.
Failure to maintain satisfactory attendance may result in a review of placement.
Teachers communicate regularly with families and ensure that Aspect Distance Education is the best option for each student.
Placements are reviewed as a part of individual student plans where students may be recommended to transition to a different setting if they are ready and interested to do so. In some cases, Aspect may suggest other settings for students that are not thriving in distance education.
