Planned reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system could make it still harder for families to get support for their autistic children.
That’s the view of charity Ambitious about Autism (AAA).
Ambitious about Autism chief executive Jolanta Lasota has called on the UK Government to protect funding for autistic pupils
The charity runs schools, a college and a jobs programme for autistic youngsters.
It says its own research with almost 2,000 families shows they fear planned reforms of the SEND system will limit parents’ ability to choose a school for their child.
Promise to end ‘postcode lottery’
The UK Government published its SEND review green paper in March, promising to end the “postcode lottery in services”.
The Government has said it wants to introduce a single system with new standards across education, health and care.
AAA said it wants a public commitment from the Government to fund support for children with SEND.
Twice as many children with SEND
The charity insists that an additional £2bn for education, announced earlier this month, only restores funding per pupil back to 2010 levels.
But now there are twice as many children with SEND in schools and colleges as in 2010.
However, the Government has not set out what level of funding will be available to pay for the additional support the children need.
Special needs system ‘broken’
Jolanta Lasota is the chief executive of AAA.
She said the special needs system is “broken”.
Lasota called on the Government to “protect the existing laws and funding” on which autistic youngsters rely.
A Government spokesperson said that “every child, including those with autism, should have access to a high-quality education”.
The spokesperson added: “Our national autism strategy is backed by millions of pounds to promote a quick diagnosis, the correct levels of support, and improved access to quality education and social care.”
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Published: 14 December 2022
