I CAN Progress Under the Victorian Autism Plan and Victorian Autism Education Strategy

Since 2023, I CAN Network has been working with the Victorian Government through the Autism Education Strategy to support Autistic and neurodivergent students through Autistic-led mentoring, inclusive practices and mental health support. Here is what that work has looked like – and where it is heading.

A major partnership delivering real outcomes

In this $5.7 million partnership, I CAN has helped inform government policy through Autistic lived experience. The results speak for themselves.

Alongside direct program delivery, I CAN also provided professional learning to upskill school staff and build a deeper understanding of the needs of Autistic students. By the end of 2024, 25 of 30 school engagements due for delivery by June 2025 were already completed – well ahead of schedule.

Evidence that the programs are working

Numbers alone do not tell the full story. What matters most is what is happening for young people inside these programs.

Extensive evaluations show significant positive outcomes for young people who participate, including improved social connectivity, confidence, self-acceptance, stress management skills and group work skills. These are not incidental gains – they are the direct result of Autistic-led mentoring that meets young people where they are, builds on their strengths, and creates genuine spaces for belonging.

That is the stated vision of the Victorian Government’s refreshed Victorian Autism Plan. The Autism Education Strategy supports that vision through six pillars – including inclusion, workforce capability, student wellbeing and accountability – and I CAN’s mentoring model aligns directly with each of them.

You can read more about I CAN’s measurable impact across its programs in our annual reports.

Advocacy beyond program delivery

Delivering programs is only part of what a genuine commitment to Autistic inclusion looks like. Real change also requires being in the room where policy is made – and this year, I CAN made sure we were.

This year, I CAN joined four other leading autism organisations in a march to Parliament, where together we called on the Victorian Government to act on the systemic changes that Autistic people and their families need most.

I CAN’s disability inclusion ambassadors have been central to this advocacy work – bringing Autistic voices into spaces that have historically been shaped without them. Their 50 speaking and meeting engagements in 2024 alone reflect the scale of that effort.

This advocacy sits within the broader policy context of the Victorian Autism Plan, which explicitly describes its intent to strengthen inclusion, participation, educational support and better outcomes for Autistic students and their families.

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Continuing to move forward

The progress I CAN has made under this partnership is significant – but it is also just the beginning of what is possible when government and Autistic-led organisations work together with genuine commitment.

The goal has always been clear: a world where neurodivergent people are accepted and celebrated. Not merely accommodated. Not just managed. Truly welcomed.

That goal aligns directly with both the Victorian Autism Plan and the Autism Education Strategy. And with the expansion milestones ahead, the evidence of what is working, and the advocacy that continues to push for deeper legislative change, I CAN is moving forward with confidence.

To learn more about what I CAN Network is and how our programs support Autistic young people, or to explore how your school or workplace can get involved through I CAN Professional Development, we would love to hear from you.