Children living with autism spectrum disorder will be able to access extra support at school without a diagnosis when SA Department for Education regulations change in October.

Key points: South Australia is the only state that requires two separate autism diagnoses to receive extra support in school

South Australia is the only state that requires two separate autism diagnoses to receive extra support in school Parents have been forced to wait up to five years to get their children diagnosed

Parents have been forced to wait up to five years to get their children diagnosed From October, the Education Department will remove the dual diagnosis requirement entirely, bringing SA in line with other states

At the moment, children suspected of having the condition need to be diagnosed by two separate health professionals to access funding for extra learning support.

The Manager of Disability and Complex Needs at the Department for Education, Emma Goodall, said that would no longer be the case.

"From October, parents and students won't need a diagnosis of anything to access support because support in the new funding model is needs-based rather than label-based," Dr Goodall said.

Diagnosis wait times in years

Under the present system, the wait for a specialist appointment is a lengthy process — particularly in regional areas.

Mother of five Jess Protopapas has two children with autism.

"With the cost and the waiting time, my nine-year-old daughter Daphne has only just this year had her second diagnosis," Ms Protopapas said.

"It's taken five years for a mum of five to get one child diagnosed twice."

She said the system was overwhelming.

"I, for a long time, didn't realise that I actually needed that second diagnosis," Ms Protopapas said.

"Then when I further looked into it I realised only certain health professionals who are accredited can do it.

"By just accepting the first diagnosis, it would just be so much better for a lot of families, me included."

Diagnosis provides clarity

Dr Goodall said while the new system eliminated the need for a diagnosis, getting one would help the schools provide specialised care for each student.

"Even though you'll be able to access support without necessarily having a diagnosis, once you have it, it clarifies what kind of support you need," Dr Goodall said.

"For example, many autistics have a literal understanding of language, so if you know a young person has that, then you can tailor the support to suit that."

Dr Goodall also said cutting the need for two diagnoses will slash the wait times to see specialists.

"It will mean people can get their initial diagnosis quicker and therefor access more targeted support," she said.

"The diagnosis is still going to be very useful."

Autism SA CEO Jenny Karavolous said the sooner children with autism get the support they need, the better.

"It's about early intervention … and as soon as you know what's occurring, or where you're at, it's about getting access to support as soon as possible," she said.

"Anything that's timely will be supported."

Changing the way we view autistic students

Dr Goodall said the change to regulation has been influenced by the need to shape the way autistic students are supported.

"We're making sure that our interventions are personalised, and they're targeted at what that child needs to achieve the success that we want all our children to access," she said.

Information about autism is becoming more widely known, such as with the introduction of autistic Sesame Street character Julia. ( Supplied: Sesame Workshop )

"I myself am autistic, and I have other people on the team who are autistic. So sometimes we can interpret things for the children that non-autistic educators haven't been able to pick up on.

"We're developing a much deeper understanding of what it means to be an autistic student, and what challenges come with that."

Jenny Karavolous of Autism SA said the nature of autism spectrum disorder means the education system must be flexible in how it supports students.

"The ABS reports that 34.7 per cent of autistic students only achieve year 10 or lower," Ms Karavolous said.

"Autism presents itself in many ways. There's a common saying — you've met one person with autism, then you've only met ONE person with autism. There's a spectrum.

"Learning environments are very challenging environments for autistic students. They face challenges with communication, social interaction, and they have unique learning styles.

"It's about an environment being able to adjust to an individual's needs and get the best out of them."