Resolved complaint (211) about disability discrimination in education

About the complaint

The complainant’s four-year-old son has autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder. The complainant alleged the respondent private school declined her request for her son to repeat the pre-preparatory program to enable him to develop his language, literacy and social skills based on the advice of his treating doctor. She alleged her son was the only child in the program not to be offered an interview for further enrolment at the school. She further alleged the school suggested a public school would be in a better position to meet her son’s needs.

The school said it offered the complainant a place for her son in the pre-preparatory (should he repeat the year) and preparatory programs.

The complaint was resolved with an undertaking by the school to include external training on autism in its annual staff training program. The school also agreed to refund the complainant fees associated with her son’s attendance at the school and to write to her acknowledging that communication between the school and the family could have been better.

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