MEREDITH Hart has gone through hell trying to get her autistic son Nick into a school designed to cater for his needs.

As the state government prepares to begin a six-month review into the education of autistic children in the western suburbs, the Keilor Downs mother knows too well the need for a specialist school.

Mrs Hart and Caroline Springs mother Bindi Goodman-Beck are among hundreds of parents campaigning for a prep-year 12 school for autistic children in the west.

Mrs Hart's son Nick, 13, was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome at the age of eight. The lack of an autism-specific school in the west meant he was forced to attend mainstream education. Mrs Hart said his experience at the school was nothing short of a disaster and he came to a point where he refused to do schoolwork.

"I decided to give home schooling a try at the start of grade 5, but it took him six months to get over his previous schooling," Mrs Hart said. "He was traumatised by his experience at the school and was too upset to start learning again."

Mrs Hart struggled to educate Nick and she began having anxiety attacks towards the end of last year.

"I wasn't coping well at all and he agreed to go back to mainstream this year for year 7 study," she said.

His return to school didn't start well and before long Nick was again unwilling to attend.

He now attends the Access Yea Community Education Program, which is designed to help children who don't fit into mainstream school.

"He goes there twice a week along with 12 other students," she said.

"It's working for him at the moment, but he can stay only until year 10." Mrs Hart said the options for autistic children were too few and parents were "hitting their heads against a brick wall".

Mrs Goodman-Beck said she had also been through horrible times trying to get her son into a school for autistic children.

Tylden, 11, attended a normal school last year and was bullied and became suicidal.

Mrs Goodman-Beck was also forced to take her child out of school and teach him at home.

"I couldn't stand seeing my son unhappy and not getting any kind of education, so I fought real hard and managed to get him into an autism-specific school.

"But I really fear for other mothers who aren't able to fight like me because it's a losing battle."