Elouera - (a local Indigenous word meaning safe place of belonging) is the name of Illawarra Sports High School's Autism support unit. This unit began with a single class and two staff members in 2014, and has rapidly grown into a thriving faculty of four classes and eight staff members in just three years.
Whilst students in the Elouera classes access the mainstream teachers and facilities for many of their subjects, they are each allocated a specialist teacher and classroom aimed at supporting their unique physical, social, emotional, and academic needs.
Since the units establishment in 2014, numerous staff and student groups have received ‘Autism Awareness' training, which has enabled a high level of understanding and inclusion for our students in the classroom, on the playground, and at whole school events such as sporting carnivals and assemblies.
The Elouera support unit has earnt a reputation for demonstrating best practice in quality inclusive education, which can be largely attributed to the wholehearted manner in which the ISHS staff, students and local community has embraced and supported these classes.