Last month, it was reported the education department had decided to deny Lang Lang pupil Mathew Wise an integration aide after eligibility conditions were reduced from six criteria to three earlier this year.

Casey Asperger Syndrome Support president Meghan Porteous said it was common for pupils with Asperger's to have trouble getting funding for an aide.

"There is no 'middle ground' in the education system to cater for the needs of kids with Asperger's syndrome," she said.

"CASS feels that the selection criteria need to be re-examined to have a more 'whole student' approach. Currently, assessments by specialists take a 'snapshot' of the child's issues at the time of the funding application."

The assessment should include observation of the child's behaviour over time and in different settings, including in the playground and at home, she said.

"This is because kids with Asperger's are so varied in their abilities and individual difficulties."

Some children with Asperger's were well behaved in class but were prone to "meltdowns" in other settings.

"Many of our members have expressed difficulty in even getting their school to begin the process of applying for an aide because the school sees no problem. They are less than willing to apply for funding because they think 'he is fine is the classroom, he doesn't need an aide'."

Ms Porteous, whose nine-year-old son, Cameron, attends a Casey primary school, said schools could be trained to better respond to the needs of pupils with Asperger's.

"If principals and teachers were better trained to understand Asperger's behaviours and the experience of the pupil as a whole, schools

would be better able to recognise when support is needed."