A mother in Victoria's Gippsland region has been charged after allegedly placing a recording device in her seven-year-old son's clothing while he was attending school.

Concerns a child who is non-verbal and has significant developmental and communication difficulties. His mother, Skye Cooper, said she became increasingly concerned about his wellbeing after he began displaying distress associated with attending school.

According to Cooper, her son had been attending Churchill Primary School since February 2025. About a month after beginning at the school, she said his behaviour changed significantly. She reported that he became increasingly distressed during the morning school routine and eventually refused to leave the car when being taken to school.

Cooper also said she noticed what appeared to be bruising on her son's arm. She raised her concerns with the school and said she participated in several meetings about her son's situation. She said she remained concerned that she did not have enough information about what was happening while he was at school.

The mother subsequently approached disability advocate Julie Phillips for advice. According to the ABC report, Phillips advised her to place a recording device in the child's clothing. Cooper followed that advice and later listened to recordings made while her son was at school.

Cooper said one recording contained a statement by an aide that she interpreted as threatening toward her son. She subsequently removed him from the school and reported the matter to authorities.

The alleged use of the recording device has resulted in Cooper being charged under legislation regulating the installation, use and maintenance of listening devices. The charge concerns the recording device rather than the separate allegations involving the school aide. Cooper has said she was surprised that she became the person facing charges, explaining that she believed she had been acting to protect her child.

The aide involved in the recording has reportedly provided a written apology. In that correspondence, the aide said she did not specifically remember the exchange but accepted responsibility for language that was inappropriate. The apology said the words were not intended as a literal threat, while acknowledging that the language should not have been used.

Cooper is now receiving legal advice and is considering how she will respond to the charge. The ABC reported that police had told her that admitting the charge and making a $300 donation to an appropriate charity could result in her avoiding a criminal record, although she is still considering her legal options.

The case has also prompted a wider discussion about the difficulties parents can face when children have limited or no ability to communicate verbally. Cooper's son has complex disability and communication needs, meaning his behaviour was an important way for his family to recognise that something might have been wrong.

Disability advocate Julie Phillips has defended her advice to use a recording device, while acknowledging that there can be legal consequences associated with covert recording. She argued that parents of non-verbal children can face particular difficulties when trying to establish what happens to their children away from home.

The matter has also generated calls for changes to Victorian surveillance-device laws. Cooper has started a petition seeking changes that would provide greater protection for parents who believe covert recording is necessary to investigate possible harm to children.

The case remains unresolved. The allegations concerning the school aide, the circumstances surrounding the recording and the legal charge against Cooper are separate matters that may continue through different processes. Cooper has not yet decided whether she will contest the charge.