A school purpose-built for children with autism will open on the Gold Coast next week.

Josiah College has been custom-designed to suit the needs of autistic students who may struggle in a mainstream school environment.

Working closely with specialists in autism from the Bond University Centre for Autism Spectrum Disorder, the school's design takes into account everything from the positioning of land to the use of colours and even the movement of the school's fans.

View photos Josiah College is Australia's first custom built school for children with autism. Source: Supplied More

View photos Classrooms have been carefully designed to suit the needs of children on the spectrum. Source: Supplied More

"Children with autism deserve the same quality of education as every other child, and they deserve to thrive as much as any other child does," Josiah College executive principal Patrick Innes-Hill said.

"We want to see children either successfully transitioning back into mainstream education, or moving into the workforce with confidence."

View photos The school's executive principal Patrick Innes-Hill wants children with autism to have the same quality education as other children. Source: Supplied More

The school collaborated with architects to make sure the building design reflected recent findings on sensory sensitivity in children on the autism spectrum.

That includes rooms sound-proofed to reduce noise, lights that are dimmable, and custom-designed furniture and garden areas.

View photos The school's custom-designed garden area. Source: Supplied More

Story continues