MOE

For an autism parent, MOE is the agency behind the biggest decision of the school years: mainstream with support, or a SPED school. Both count as national schools under the Compulsory Education Act, so choosing SPED is not opting out of the system — it is choosing the part of it built to give more support.

MOE explicitly lists mild autism spectrum disorder among the needs mainstream primary schools are set up to support, and it places SEN Officers in mainstream schools for exactly that. Where a child needs more, MOE funds SPED schools run by social service agencies, including the autism-focused Pathlight School.

Two MOE processes matter most in practice: the SPED school application (you apply directly through MOE’s online form) and SPED FAS, the financial assistance scheme for lower-income families in SPED schools.