Victoria's disability minister said he was horrified by revelations of a "desensitising box" at a Melbourne autism centre and has expanded a probe into one of the country's leading disability service providers.

Minister Martin Foley on Monday instructed the Department of Human Services to urgently inquire about the box as part of an examination of Aspect's Heatherton site, vowing to get to the bottom of the matter.

Thomas and his little sister Sarah have the same disability. They were both diagnosed with autism when they were four and attended the same early intervention service. But when it came time to start school, only Thomas qualified for disability funding. Sarah did not meet the criteria because she pronounced words too clearly, despite struggling to understand them.

Parents Paul Coleman and Annie Walton spent a year "jumping through hoops" to get an integration aid for Thomas, who is now 9.

CHILDREN with disabilities are allegedly being locked in cages without windows and other enclosures described as “cattle pens” while at school.

Bendigo Special Developmental School is being investigated by the Victorian education department after incidents were reported by staff members and parents.

Since October last year, disability advocate Julie Phillips has copped a number of complaints about children being treated like animals.

THE family and friends of a Lockwood South man with severe autism have just nine days left until he is once again taken from their care.

Luke Modra, 27, has lived at the expansive property specially designed for his needs for several years, and in the last nine months has been under the direct care of eight support workers.

But on Saturday, his parents had to inform the workers they would no longer have a job on Monday after they were unsuccessful in convincing the Department of Health and Human Services to pay the casual wages.

Henrietta Cook, Education Reporter

Children were allegedly locked in cage-like structures at a Victorian special school and restrained with straps at another, triggering separate investigations by the Education Department.

A consultancy hired by the department is investigating practices at Bendigo Special Developmental School to determine whether there is "a risk of danger or risk of inappropriate treatment" for students.

Children were allegedly locked in cage-like structures at a Victorian special school and restrained with straps at another, triggering separate investigations by the Education Department.

A consultancy hired by the department is investigating practices at Bendigo Special Developmental School to determine whether there is "a risk of danger or risk of inappropriate treatment" for students.

A separate probe by an independent education consultant is examining complaints raised by parents at Monash Special Developmental School.

A manager at Victoria's biggest disability services provider Yooralla has been jailed for four years after he was caught by a hidden camera preying on a vulnerable cognitively impaired woman in his office.

County Court judge Paul Grant said Timothy Hampson, 52, had abused his position of trust in a shocking way.

"You put your own desires above your obligation to respect your victim's rights, her autonomy and personal dignity," the judge said on Monday when jailing Hampson for four years with a non-parole period of two-and-a-half years.

Nearly half of all Victoria's disability sector employees have witnessed their co-workers perpetrate acts of abuse, violence or neglect on people with disabilities living in their care, a survey reveals.

The findings have raised fresh concerns around the lack of qualifications needed to work in the industry, and warnings that abuse will only increase without reforms to "professionalise" the sector before it doubles in size under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

A disabled young boy was "punched" in the throat by a Jiu Jitsu trainer and repeatedly restrained at a specialist school in Victoria, court documents show.