A LONG awaited autistic school finally opened in Laverton last week.

The new campus is the first purpose built school for Western Autistic with facilities built to specifically cater the needs of autistic children.

Prior to the school opening the campus was located at a temporary facility in Deer Park.

Principal Val Gill told Star that they were at Deer Park for six years despite it only being meant to be a temporary facility.

Ms Gill said that watching the students’ faces getting off the bus on the first day made the wait worthwhile and she couldn’t be happier with the new school.

“You have to keep pinching yourself. It’s a spectacular building,” she said.

Autistic children don’t often respond well to change and the transition into the new school has come as a challenge for some parents.

Rebecca Borg is the mother of an autistic child that attends the school.

“Today I had my first look in side it is amazing. It is really set up for the kids and catered for their disabilities,” she said.

Rebecca’s six-year-old son, Anthony, has found the transition into his new school a challenge.

“Routine works well for Anthony. Part of the challenge of a new school is that it has unsettled him,” she said.

Anthony was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at age three.

Rebecca said that she suspected something was wrong with her son when he was 18-months and took him to see three different general practitioners who told her nothing was wrong and he would grow out of his behaviour.

After finally receiving a diagnosis Rebecca said she was relieved.

“I was actually glad to have a diagnosis; I was rapt because I had something to deal with,” she said.

“Anthony has improved so much with that school and the teachers are wonderful, I call them little angels that go to work every day.”

The Western Autistic School in Laverton teaches 144 autistic students and 16 students with Asperger’s Syndrome as part of their Wattle Program.