Mr FINN (Western Metropolitan) -- I wish to raise a matter for the attention of the Minister for Education. This matter follows a series of correspondence and discussions I have had with a constituent, Ms Wilma La Greca. She tells me she is a single parent of two special needs boys and she has been trying for almost six months to get help with funding for an autism teacher assistant and for personal computer software. She says she lives in Greenvale, and her 15-year-old son goes to Essendon East Keilor District College in Niddrie and her 11-year-old son goes to Broadmeadows Primary School. Both boys have Asperger's syndrome and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Both have integration assistance -- the 15-year-old has level 2 assistance and the 11-year-old has level 3.

Ms La Greca has informed me that of late she has become increasingly concerned because her teenager is very stressed out as things are becoming more and more difficult for him, and the 11-year-old is going pretty much the same way. She points out to me that she definitely needs autism teachers who would be able to explain to her sons exactly what is going on at school and to guide those around them as well.

My concern is not just for Ms La Greca, but also for an increasing number of parents with autistic children who find themselves in exactly the same situation. There has been an explosion of autism right across Australia, and in fact right across the world. We here in Victoria need to examine and review the services we provide for children with autism and for their parents, particularly, as I have pointed out in this house before, as children with autism are quite capable in many instances of leading very normal and productive lives if they are treated and given the right assistance at the right time.

I ask the Minister for Education to take into consideration the position Ms La Greca finds herself in and to review and examine the case of her children. I have a lot of correspondence that I would be very happy to pass on to the minister.

I ask her to examine this particular case and provide the support Ms La Greca needs for her two children and also to have a deep thought process about what is needed to help and support children with autism who are attempting to go to school in this state.