Georgina Mitchell, SMH

A school in Sydney's west has denied it repeatedly locked an autistic boy in a cage-like structure and left him there alone, despite the boy's mother saying she witnessed it happen and the boy describing how he tried to climb out.

Lynda Jordan said her son Toby, 13, who has a mild intellectual disability, was locked into the structure at the Aspect Macarthur School in Cobbitty whenever he had a "meltdown", a process which caused him significant distress.

NATASHA BITA

State Education Minister ­Adrian Piccoli, a Nationals MP, said the federal government’s ­refusal to fully fund the Gonski ­reforms, worth $5 billion to NSW schools, was like stopping a new railway line midway through construction. “It’s like building a train line that costs $5bn and takes six years to build, but you stop building it halfway through,’’ he said.

“You’ve already spent $2bn or $3bn and no passengers have travelled on it.

by David Roy

A quarter of children with a disability denied a place in their local school; Students are being bullied by teachers because of their disability; There are negative attitudes to children with a disability by schools, principals and some staff; No allowance made in learning for children with a disability. No training for teachers; Funding and schools not accountable.

New South Wales education officials have suspended their investigation into claims a Hunter boy with autism was locked in a cupboard, pending a police probe.

Police confirmed they were investigating the alleged incident, after the ABC revealed claims made by the boy's father David Roy.

He alleged his son was locked in a cupboard while attending a special needs unit at a Hunter region school in 2013.

Labor state member for Charlestown, Jodie Harrison, asked the Government for an independent investigation.

Warning: the following story is likely to be very alarming for people.

Dressed in only a fleece jumper and track pants, the 11-year-old was placed on a garden chair in the cold and dark surrounds of an aluminium shed.

From where he sat in the single-digit temperatures with his arms bound to the chair with masking tape, the heater would have been in view.

A Figtree man with Asperger's Syndrome will remain behind bars after reportedly indecently assaulting a woman on a train to Sydney. Peter Thompson, aged 40, allegedly hugged and kissed the woman without her permission on board a train at Waterfall on December 29. Thompson had previously been convicted of similar matters and was banned from riding on any public transport. Police say that despite those bail and bond conditions, Thompson continues to re-offend. He remains in custody until another court appearance on January 12.

NSW police are investigating allegations a child with autism was disciplined by being locked in a dark cupboard at a Newcastle school.

The boy's father, David Roy, raised the allegations of abuse against his seven-year-old son at Kotara South Public School.

Mr Roy said his son, who is now home-schooled, was traumatised.

"It's suggested that he was locked in a darkened cupboard with heavy objects around him," he said.

"He is indicating to us that he was grabbed and hit."

Mr Roy said his son shuts down when remembering the alleged abuse.

Dozens of New South Wales teachers have been investigated for alleged assaults against students with autism, including children being sat on and placed in headlocks, Education Department data shows.

The ABC has obtained figures of alleged child protection incidents involving students with autism spectrum disorder at NSW public schools.

Of the 37 alleged incidents, management action was taken in eight cases, after the conduct was shown to have occurred.

JO ABI

This month, a Blacktown mum Fawziya Adam was sick and had to go to the doctor.

The mother of five was a carer for her autistic son. Instead of taking him to the doctor with her, she decided to chain him up.

“I used to take him everywhere with me,” she explained to Fairfax, “but now he is strong.”

“This time I was scared because the last time he ran away and pushed me and people in the street and the chemist. That’s why I didn’t take him with me.”

By Charles Elias

Nelson Bay’s Les Merrett, who with wife Judy founded the charity Autism Action in 2010, has joined with Harbourside Haven board chairman Gerry Mohan and the Port’s not-for-profit Sporting Hope group to establish a learning, training and rehabilitation centre.

It is envisaged that the facility would come under the umbrella of the soon-to-be-introduced National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and funded via government grants.