AQ Foundation Bursary: Every child deserves to succeed at school.
* The AQ Foundation is a registered Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR-1), all donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible.
Meet Elliott
Seven-year-old Elliott is cheeky, energetic and endlessly curious. He loves letters, numbers and stories, especially The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Dear Zoo and Where is the Green Sheep? which he happily reads over and over again.
He can often be found creating different writing styles on his magnetic drawing board or diving deeply into one of his special interests. Elliott is autistic and he experiences the world in his own unique way. He often communicates using echolalia, which means repeating words and sounds he has heard before. Like many autistic children, he finds traditional learning environments tricky.
Before coming to Autism Queensland (AQ) School, Elliott attended a mainstream daycare. But the environment simply wasn’t designed for the way he learned, communicated or experienced the world.
While the educators around him cared deeply, they didn’t always understand how to engage and support him. And for Elliott’s family, that uncertainty became overwhelming.
His mum Ally, remembers constantly worrying about whether Elliott would ever truly feel safe, understood and supported at school.
“The caregivers struggled to communicate effectively with him because they weren't equipped to understand his learning style.”
Safety became one of her biggest fears.
Elliott loves to explore and move around; he often goes on little adventures. The thought of him entering a school environment where his adventures might be misunderstood felt overwhelming. Like so many families of autistic children, they feared school would become another place where Elliott felt left out and confused.
Then Elliott found his team.
At AQ School, Elliott entered a sensory-friendly classroom designed to support how autistic children learn. Now Elliott was surrounded by people who understood him!
AQ’s specialised teachers, therapists and support staff enthusiastically began working together around him, building on his many strengths, supporting his ways of communicating, helping him participate, learn and grow in confidence.
Slowly, things began to change... and then came moments his family once thought might never happen.
Before AQ School, Elliott mostly communicated using one-word answers. Now, his family love to listen as he tells them how he feels.
“Words like ‘I am happy’, ‘I am sad’, and ‘I had a good day today’ have become part of his vocabulary.” Says mum Ally.
“He now looks forward to catching the AQ School bus to class each day and proudly wears his school uniform— including socks and shoes! He even asks to go back to school during the holidays because he genuinely loves being there and it is such a big part of his world.”
These moments may seem small to some people. But for Elliott’s family, they represent something much bigger. Safety, belonging and hope for the future.
Most importantly, Elliott is happy. His mum says that’s something she once feared might never happen at school.
“Now I know he is safe, he is learning, and most importantly, he is happy.”
For Elliott’s family, success is no longer just about getting through the school day. They have begun to imagine a future full of possibility for their lively little boy.
This is the education and future that becomes possible when autistic children have access to the right team and the right school.
The chance to succeed at school
We believe every child should have the chance to learn, belong, and thrive at school. Each year we work with thousands of Queensland schools and educators to support the inclusion of autistic students in mainstream classrooms. For some students, these classrooms are not the right environment to help them shine at school. AQ School offers a specialised education setting for autistic students to thrive.
What is the AQ Foundation?
The AQ Foundation awards annual bursaries to help families experiencing financial hardship, for whome school fees are a barrier to enrolling or remaining at AQ School. Funded through community, corporate, and philanthropic donations, these bursaries provide financial assistance towards tuition fees for Prep to Year 12 students across all AQ School campuses, including our Disance Education program for remote families.
Who can apply for the bursary?
The AQ Foundation Bursary is awarded to Queensland families who meet strict eligibility criteria, with priority given to those most at risk, including families on low income, living in regional and remote communities, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. Without support, these vulnerable autistic children risk leaving school altogether, missing out on the chance to learn, belong, and thrive in their education.
Your gift provides children with the chance to learn at an AQ School. A safe, specialised environment where autistic children are understood, supported, and given every opportunity to succeed.
Right now, many families who need this support cannot afford it. Children are changing schools again and again because they aren't getting the help they need. That's why the AQ Foundation exists: the ensure financial hardship never stands in the way of an autistic child's right to learn, belong, and succeed at school.
