More details have been revealed about the investigation into the use of a cage at a Canberra school to contain a special needs student with challenging behaviour.

A 10-year-old boy with autism was reportedly placed in a "withdrawal space" inside the classroom between March 10 and March 27.

Lobby groups for children with special needs were outraged when the story originally surfaced last month about the use of a containment cage in a classroom.

The cage, made from pool fencing, was removed swiftly after a complaint was made to authorities.

The ACT Government has established an expert panel to review policies in place in schools for students with complex special needs and challenging behaviour.

Education Minister Joy Burch told a press conference she was delighted three highly respected and qualified people would be part of the review.

The panel members are Emeritus Professor Anthony Shaddock, a psychologist and educator from the University of Canberra, ACT paediatrician and anti-child abuse campaigner Dr Sue Packer and the ACT Children and Young People Commissioner Alasdair Roy.

"The expert panel has broad scope to undertake this review," Ms Burch said.

"The terms of reference require the expert panel to evaluate the current legislative and policy framework, guidelines and protocols that support ACT schools in teaching students with complex and challenging needs.

"The panel will also review current practices with particular attention to responses such as exclusionary withdrawal".

Expert panel to look at best practice for teachers

Professor Shaddock said the case involving the cage would not be the sole focus of the panel review.

"We'll learn about that incident in some detail, but as I see the terms of reference, this is a far more proactive approach to dealing with an issue that's obviously there," he said

Professor Shaddock said it was important to consider the best ways for teachers and schools to respond to challenging behaviours in the classroom.

"It is always timely to take an opportunity to look at what is good practice, how do we enhance our existing framework to make sure that all students across all schools are supported when they come into a classroom with challenging behaviours," he said.

"So we shouldn't get hung up on diagnosis and labels, actually we should be looking at behaviour and say how do schools reasonably respond to that."

Ms Burch said she was confident the withdrawal space made from pool fencing was a one-off incident and was not found elsewhere in the ACT education system.

"This was well intended, the best interests of the child was there, but a series of decisions just didn't come to the proper and right conclusion," she said.

"I am absolutely confident that this was an aberration, a one-off."

Information on the consultation process with schools and the public will be released soon.

The panel is expected to report back to the Government in October 2015.