Eighteen people linked to a special needs school in Sydney’s north — including seven students — have tested positive for COVID-19.

Key points:

• Parents were first notified a staff member tested positive on August 5
• Seven students, three staff and eight family members are now positive
• NSW Health says it does not disclose details on venues of concern unless there is a public health risk

The Giant Steps school in Gladesville caters for students with severe autism and has closed its doors after becoming aware of a positive case last week.

SAFEWORK NSW v SNAP PROGRAMS LIMITED AND STATE OF NEW SOUTH
WALES (DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITIES AND JUSTICE) [2021] NSWDC
259

District Court of New South Wales, Scotting DCJ, 18 June 2021

Sentence hearing for a WPHS breach involving the death of a child in care

Key Words: Workplace Health and Safety, New South Wales, Penalty, Death Of Child In Care, Duty of Care

Ethan James

The mother of a man living at a NSW residential care home for people with a disability has described the shock of listening to evidence about his alleged abuse.

Sophia was sitting in court in October when she heard details for the first time about the alleged treatment of her son Carl, who is now 24.

"Hearing what the witnesses were saying was probably the hardest thing I could have done," she told the disability royal commission on Tuesday.

Aaron Bunch

A supervisor at a NSW residential care home for disabled people was charged with assault, stalking and intimidation over his treatment of a blind and autistic man, an inquiry has heard.

The same carer was also accused of sexual misconduct towards a teenage girl in another facility and supervisory neglect after allegedly falsifying a client's medication chart.

Josh Bavas

An autism awareness advocate is calling on schools across the country to ensure they properly treat children with a disability, after revelations a Sydney school is under investigation for installing locks on rooms for students who misbehave.

The New South Wales Department of Education is investigating a Penshurst West Public School, in Sydney's south, after concerned parents discovered locks were installed on a small "sensory room".

Katerina Ferekos, whose seven-year-old son Yianni is enrolled at the school, raised concerns with the principal earlier this year.

The Disability Royal Commission released a report summarising its public hearing #4 that is about Health care for people with cognitive disability. The DRC  includes autistic people among people with cognitive disability.

The report focuses on NSW and  describes many poor experiences of autistic people in the health systems. It says:

Experts and advocates also noted the dearth of initiatives to ensure that people with autism can access and receive appropriate health care.

Jordan Baker

The number of students with disabilities in the public education system is predicted to grow by 50 per cent in the decade to 2027, and they will need twice as many specialist teachers and thousands more support classrooms.

Six new special needs schools will also have to be built every year if diagnosis and enrolment rates continue and policy settings do not change, modelling by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) for the NSW Department of Education found.

Catherine Blundy’s discrimination test case against The Lakes Christian College has settled, with the school agreeing to measures to better support autistic children.

In reaching settlement, Catherine, her mum Hannah, and the College have made the following statement:

Hannah Blundy and The Lakes Christian College have agreed to resolve Catherine Blundy’s claim against the College currently before the Federal Circuit Court.

Agron Latifi

Traditionally, most research about autism is conducted by people who are not themselves on the autism spectrum.

However Dr Amanda Webster, from the School of Education, and her fellow University of Wollongong researchers, are involving autistic people in all aspects of the research process, from deciding research questions, to data collection and analysis, to translating the findings into real-world outcomes.