Toolkit to support safer, more inclusive schools
24 Jun 2026
AQ has launched the #Safe2BeMe Toolkit, a co-designed resource to support schools across Queensland to create safer, more inclusive and supportive learning environments for autistic students.
Now available on the AQ Website, the free to download toolkit was developed through a collaborative process that places autistic student voices at its centre.
Facilitated by AQ’s Community Inclusion team and supported by funding from the Queensland Family and Child Commission, the #Safe2BeMe project was designed to better understand what helps autistic students feel safe and supported at school.
Autistic students from Prep to Year 12 contributed their ideas and experiences through surveys, conversations, drawings, videos and other creative formats. An advisory group of autistic secondary students further guided the co-design and development of the toolkit, ensuring lived experience remained central throughout the project.
The result is a practical, solution-focused toolkit providing educators with accessible resources, including videos, tip sheets, and strategies to embed inclusive practices in everyday school environments.
The toolkit is structured around three key themes identified by students as critical to their sense of safety and wellbeing:
- Access to supports – ensuring students can reliably access the tools, people and resources they need.
- Predictability – creating consistent, structured environments to reduce anxiety and uncertainty.
- Autonomy – supporting student choice, voice and self-advocacy.
Together, these themes provide a clear, student-informed framework for schools to strengthen both safety and inclusion.
The #Safe2BeMe Toolkit reflects AQ’s commitment to evidence-informed practice and meaningful inclusion, empowering schools to better understand and respond to the needs of autistic students. By embedding student voice into practical strategies, the resource supports educators to foster environments where all students feel respected, understood and able to thrive.
Drawings featured throughout the kit are by AQ student and artist Toby who was also a member of the advisory group.
The #Safe2BeMe Toolkit is free to download and available for use by educators, schools and the broader community.
