Canberra's special education services are being stretched to the limit because of an unprecedented increase in the number of students with disabilities, autism and very high needs.
The ACT Government is finalising this week the terms of reference for an urgent review of special education services, which will be completed by the end of the year.
ACT Education Minister Andrew Barr said he was concerned about the ACT's ability to cope with demand for services given a 20 per cent rise in the total number of all students identified with disabilities in the ACT during the past five years and a sharp increase in those with very high and complex needs.
Reasons for the rise include increased medical interventions and advances that have improved survival rates for babies with profound disabilities.
The ACT is also following a national trend towards increased autism diagnoses.
While the exact cause of this has yet to be established, an estimated 32 per cent of all students with disabilities also have autism, according to the latest ACT Department of Education statistics.
Former director of student services Kathy Melsom said in August 2002 that 1470 Canberra students were accessing special education.
This had risen to 1767 last year.
She also noted there had been a 30 per cent increase in the number of students choosing to attend mainstream schools with special support during the same period.
The ACT has four dedicated schools for students with disabilities, including Malkara, Cranleigh, Black Mountain and the Woden School.
Ms Melsom said enrolments were historically high and all schools were dealing with the pressure of increased numbers of students with high and complex needs.
Pressure was particularly great at Black Mountain, which takes students from Years 7 to 12, and is having to cater for an increasing group of students staying beyond Year 12.
"We have always had a practice of allowing students to stay beyond Year 12 and as a result we have a number of students who are at the school aged 20 or 21," she said.
In several cases, these students were not mobile and required the use of waterbeds in classrooms, which was adding to space constraints at the school.
Ms Melsom noted the ACT had an agreement with NSW to accept students with disabilities and anecdotally it appeared a number of interstate families had moved to the ACT to access the high level of education services available.
Mr Barr said a review was required because "it all adds up to new levels of demand which we carefully need to consider".
While the review would not provide policy options for dealing with students post-Year 12, Mr Barr said he was keen to establish better transition arrangements.
The review, which will be overseen by the ACT's Special Education Reference Group and include representatives of the peak disability organisations, parents, academics and teachers, will produce a discussion paper, which will be open for community consultation later in the year.
Its terms of reference include researching leading practice in special education, both nationally and internationally, and providing options for the provision of special education in the ACT.
Mr Barr said he was keen to ensure the ACT was prepared for what appeared to be a continuing increase in demand.