Heartache as ASPECT South Coast lease at Bellambi Public School not renewed

About 25 autistic students and eight to 10 staff members need a new site after the Department of Education told ASPECT it would not renew its lease in December, to operate out of Bellambi Public School.

Katie Hopkinson, whose eight-year-old son Samson attends the "amazing" autism specific school, was 'devastated".

The 34-year-old autistic woman is now urging the community to help find a new home for "these wonderful kids" before the end of the year.

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"We've been so lucky that Samson has been in an ASPECT classroom since kindergarten. I know lots of families that transferred to ASPECT after having heartbreaking experiences in Department of Education autism units or mainstream classrooms," Mrs Hopkinson said.

"ASPECT teachers and staff really know each of our children and have the highest levels of autism specific training.

"Sam's teachers understand his sensory, emotional and social needs, whilst providing him with a curriculum that uses autism specific teaching methods.

"Samson's class has a ratio of at least two educators to seven children, their classrooms are sensory friendly and their teaching methods are child led.

"All of these opportunities and teaching strategies allow our children to thrive, and wouldn't be available to them outside of ASPECT.

"Right now, there are parents, families, educators and staff, anxiously waiting to see if we can find a classroom for our kids for next year. The worry for our children's sensory, emotional, social and academic future is huge.

"ASPECT is more than a school to us, it's a completely inclusive community, for our children, families and the staff that support us."

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ASPECT Education national director Maryanne Gosling said the dilemma was to find somewhere suitable for that group of students.

"Our first preference would be to partner up with another school but understand that will be difficult," she said.

"We have got a couple of other options we are looking at including stand alone campuses, similar to our base school at Corrimal.

"Finding a similar site around the Dapto area though is for a permanent home and more of a long-term ambition.

"Our immediate aim is to find something which will house at least 25 children and between eight to 10 staff.

"The space would need to be able to fit three to four classrooms also. We are happy to work and do the necessary fit-outs as long as we have the property for a minimum one-year."

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ASPECT has about 1200 students across nine different schools and about 113 satellite programs.

Mrs Gosling said these satellite programs were core to the function of ASPECT being able to transition kids from a very specialised support service, gradually reducing them to regular classroom settings, where they can be a part of the inclusive environment that other schools offer as well.

"The satellites are really important in preparing our kids for the mainstream schools that they will eventually likely go into," she said.

"it provides them with that alternative model of inclusion that enables kids to adjust to the mainstream setting at their own pace, and getting the skills that they need to enable them to be successful once they transition.

"That's why it is vital we find a suitable home for satellite program which has been operating out of Bellambi."

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