Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) will officially open the school in Olive Street, Albury, next year.

Local demand for an autism specific educational setting has been strong, according to Aspect Riverina co-ordinator Fiona McEvoy.

“Demand within the Riverina has been so high so quick, I have so many kids on the waiting list that I couldn’t cater for,” Ms McEvoy said.

Aspects run two satellite classes in Albury at St Patrick’s Primary School and one class at Xavier High School.

“In the past five years we’ve grown from 17 students to 54 students in the two satellite schools,” Ms McEvoy said.

The Olive Street site will have four classes, kindergarten to year 4, and each will have six students with one teacher and one teacher’s aide.

“Basically it’s a school for kids with autism, with knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff, and daily living programs and community access programs, so students know how to function in society,” Ms McEvoy said.

“Really it is so exciting, not just for me but for the parents, it’s an amazing facility to send their children to.”

The new school’s Parents and Friends Association president Jackie Wakley said mainstream schools did not provide a lot of autism specific support.

“You basically sink or swim and you’ve got no other option than to go into a special school or into a mainstream school which is not the ideal setting for a lot of children,” she said.

Her son Jacob, 9, is autistic and has already started programs at Aspect.

“Jacob would not have coped in a mainstream setting at all but a special school wasn’t a good setting for him either and this is what happens with a lot of the autistic children,” she said.

Aspect-trained teachers and aides, along with speech and occupational therapists, will staff the school.

“Which is going to be fabulous because a lot of these kids have sensory problems, and most of their learning is stifled,” Mrs Wakley said.