To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that autistic children and their parents receive adequate support.
Answered on
22 June 2015
The comprehensive reforms to the Special Educational Needs (SEN) system under the Children and Families Act 2014 introduced a range of measures to improve outcomes and support for children and young people with SEN or a disability, including those with autism, and their families. The Department recognises the particular needs of children and young people with autism in education, including supported transition and preparation for adulthood and the reforms emphasise the need for local authorities and other agencies to put support in place early, and to centre it around the child or young person’s own aspirations, interests and needs.
Many aspects of the reforms are of particular benefit to children and young people with autism and their families - in particular, the move to more person-centred, multi-agency and participative Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessments and plans. The new legislation provides continuity of support for a young person up to the age of 25, placing a new duty on further education colleges to use their ‘best endeavours’ to support all young people with SEN. The legislation and the Code of Practice have a strong focus on preparing for adulthood, from an early age. Children and young people with autism who do not have statements or EHC plans will benefit in particular from the clearer guidance in the Code on identifying and meeting needs.
The Act also makes provision to ensure that parents, children and young people are able to access impartial information, advice and support. This is available through a local, dedicated and easily identifiable service which includes help to prepare them for meetings with schools, health professionals or other agencies.
In addition, under the Department’s Free Schools programme, there are now fourteen open special free schools across the country, including several that are specifically for children with autism, such as the Rise free school in Hounslow, the Lighthouse free school in Leeds and the National Autistic Society’s Church Lawton free school in Cheshire. There are a further thirteen special free schools due to open in the future, including the Heartlands Autism free school in Haringey and a second National Autistic Society free school, the Vanguard free school in Lambeth.
The Department has also contracted with the Autism Education Trust (2015-16) to deliver autism training to education professionals. It is providing grant funding for two additional projects (2015-16): a project by the National Autistic Society to provide information and advice to parents and professionals on exclusions and a project by Ambitious about Autism on strategies for supporting transition from school to college.