Inclusion Support Assistant

An Inclusion Support Assistant provides individualised support to students with disabilities or additional needs in mainstream Australian schools and educational settings. Working under the direction of teachers and special needs coordinators, they implement personalised learning strategies, adapt classroom materials, and facilitate the student's participation in academic and social activities alongside their peers.

Implement individualised education plans (IEPs) and support strategies developed by teachers and allied health professionals. Adapt classroom materials and resources to suit the learning needs and abilities of students with disabilities. Provide one-to-one or small group support to students during literacy, numeracy, and other learning activities. Assist students with personal care needs including toileting, feeding, and mobility support as required. Facilitate peer interactions and social inclusion by supporting students to participate in playground activities and group work. Monitor and record student progress against IEP goals and communicate observations to teachers and parents. Accompany students on school excursions and community-based learning activities, providing necessary support and supervision. Liaise with parents and carers regarding daily progress, behaviour, and wellbeing of supported students.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll be paid less than teachers despite similar emotional labour. The work is physically demanding (lifting, toileting support) with high burnout risk from managing challenging behaviours and personal care tasks daily. School hours sound good until you factor in behaviour crises, incident reports, and the emotional weight of working with trauma.

Jobs concentrate in metropolitan areas and regional centres where schools have funding for dedicated support roles. Public schools in disadvantaged areas (higher needs populations) and private schools hire more actively. Remote work doesn't apply. Employment follows student population density and school funding.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 4221, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Active Listeningcore
• Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
• Case Note Documentationcore
• Confidentiality and Privacy Compliancecore
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivitycore
• Disability Awareness and Inclusioncore
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligencecore
• Inclusive Practicecore
• Participant or Client Advocacycore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Professional Boundaries Maintenancecore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Trauma-Informed Communicationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Conflict De-escalation
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Goal Setting and Planning
• Incident Reporting
• Interpreter and Accessibility Coordination
• Regulatory and Legislative Awareness
• Time Management and Prioritisation
• Written Communication

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 10 October 2026