Year three pupil Alex Steele, 9, has cerebral palsy, autism and a chromosome deletion. 

He scored in the highest results level – which is band six – for his year group.

Alex’s mother Helen Steele praised the southern Warrane Primary School for its efforts in providing a learning environment that catered to her son’s needs.

‘‘If it wasn’t for the school’s knowledge of him, and the community within the school, he wouldn’t have had those high results and would be disengaged with school.

‘‘He would actually go back into his shell if he didn’t have this. 

‘‘He has found school exceptionally difficult because of the socialisation aspect, but at the same point he wants to learn, he is there to learn, and this just proves to me that he actually can learn.’’

Alex is provided with a teaching aid when he requires one, uses a laptop with special communication software installed for his written work and spelling, and is given advanced maths work up to year five and six levels.

In the NAPLAN tests he is supplied with a scribe, as cerebral palsy makes it difficult for him to write.

Kristen Desmond, from the Tasmanian Disability Education reform Lobby, said it was the perfect example of what children with disabilities could achieve if the right educational supports were given.

‘‘People think kids with disability can’t achieve, but this shows that when a school puts the right supports in place, they can. 

‘‘Lots of people ask ‘What does the right support look like?’ Well, for this child, this school has got it right.’’