That ICPA (Aust) work with the Australian Boarding Schools Association (ABSA), to help develop an information pack, which will build a knowledge base to assist parents of a child with specific education needs with the decision making process during the transition to boarding school.
Parents of students with specific needs often struggle to find clear guidance on navigating the enrolment process and what’s required to transition their children successfully into a boarding school environment.
A dedicated resource outlining essential steps and support options would provide families with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions throughout the application process, including the accommodations that can be put in place during the transition process and throughout their high school boarding experience.
There is a lack of awareness around the resources available to all families of students with specific needs through state and independent stakeholders. We thank the current organisations for their support in helping transition boarding students with specific needs and believe that with a dedicated resource that creates greater awareness of these resources it would ensure a smoother transition for families and students.
At the recent state conference in St George, delegates were provided with a ‘Let’s talk about boarding – for parents thinking about sending their children to boarding school’ pamphlet published by the Australian Boarding School Association (ABSA). This resource already provides excellent guidance for parents considering boarding school. It would be a meaningful step towards inclusivity if we could expand this resource and other like materials & support practices, to include specific guidance for students with additional needs.
CASE STUDY
Navigating the boarding school selection process for our neurodiverse son, was an isolating and overwhelming experience. Despite his enthusiasm for boarding life, we faced multiple roadblocks— schools hesitant to provide adequate support, rejections due to initial adjustment difficulties, and even the inability to secure an interview at some institutions. As parents, we were left feeling lost, unsure of the next steps, and without a clear path forward. Distance Education, while an option, did not provide the social and cognitive stimulation he needed, reinforcing our commitment to finding a suitable school. However, we lacked the necessary guidance—there was no central resource to explain available supports, recommended preparations, or reasonable accommodations schools could make to aid in the transition. This caused severe stress and anxiety for our child and also ourselves. Had there been awareness of the current resources available and there been a dedicated resource outlining the steps for transitioning a neurodiverse student to boarding school, including available supports, necessary adjustments, and key professionals to engage, our experience would have been far less traumatizing. Parents of neurodiverse children should not have to navigate this journey alone, uncertain of what accommodations they can request or how best to advocate for their child’s success.
