Join Dr Matt Harrison and Jess Rowlings from the University of Melbourne, along with Audrey Amalfi from Delacombe Primary School, and a student panel to hear a range of perspectives on how to support student connection and friendship at school.

How can we empower autistic students to play an active role in their own learning? At this symposium, Dr Stephen Shore, an autistic professor of special education at Adelphi University, will share insights on supporting autistic students' self-advocacy, accompanied by Matthew McLaren and a parent from Dromana College, exploring how secondary schools and parents can work as allies to create the conditions for students to develop their agency.

What does current research and the autistic community tell us about best practice in Australian schools? Dr Dawn Adams will share information about the development of the Draft National Guidelines for Best Practice in Inclusive Education for Autistic Students, alongside Deborah Moloney from Furlong Park School for Deaf Children, who will present a school-based case-study.

This symposium explores how case conferencing brings teams together to improve wellbeing, social connection, and learning outcomes for autistic learners. Join Claire Kirk and Sarah Turner from Western Autistic School to learn a model for case-conferencing in schools. Following this, attendees will hear directly from parents as they share their firsthand stories of navigating the school system. They will discuss practical ways to build trust, overcome barriers, and foster genuinely respectful partnerships.

Join Dr David Moseley (Clinical Psychologist) and Dr Chloe Emonson (Research Fellow) from Monash University, as they explore why some children struggle with regulation in the classroom and what we can do to help. This session will present a variety of practical frameworks, tools, evidence-based programs, and the AllPlay online resources designed to support children's participation in school settings.

Many autistic learners have routine, everyday, and often very distressing neurodivergent sensory experiences, impacting participation, mental health, and wellbeing. As autistic and neurodivergent sensory experiences are fundamentally internal, happening within the mind of the person having them, they are frequently overlooked or dismissed. Even serious efforts to understand neurodivergent sensory experiences have sometimes been based on assumptions that we now know to be mistaken. Patrick will present up-to-date research and correct some of these myths and misunderstandings. We will also discuss some of the key factors that can promote better sensory experiences, and the importance and challenge of individual agency and control in busy, shared sensory environments.

This presentation explores some of the unique challenges families of diverse learners face when building relationships with schools. For example, navigating complex communication systems, differences in communication style, and varying experiences and levels of trust in education providers. It will discuss key barriers and emerging opportunities for collaboration, highlighting how schools and families can work together to better support students.

Join Anne Southall and colleagues to hear about their recent research investigating current practice preparing young people in specialist schools for life beyond the classroom. The study brought together international research as well as the voices of students, families, educators and school leaders to reveal not only what is working, but what is possible. In this practical workshop you'll hear insights from the research, and have opportunity to reflect on how these might be applied to transition planning in your own setting.