Children with autism can present with behaviour that may be difficult to manage. This type of behaviour often results from anxiety or frustration due to either a lack of understanding of their needs and/or a lack of support for their needs in a school environment. In fact, 66% of parents say a delay in accessing support had a negative impact on their child’s behaviour.
Such behavioural issues mean that children with autism are disproportionately affected by exclusions. One in five children with autism has been excluded from school, and 67% of these have been excluded more than once. The most common reason given to parents when their child is excluded is that the school can not cope with the child.
What we're doing
We are working closely with the Government on developing guidance on behaviour and discipline policies as well as on exclusion policies. We have also worked on a range of bills as they passed through Parliament to secure changes to Government policy to improve the rights of excluded children. For example, we helped secure a commitment to safeguards through the Education and Skills Act 2008 so that children with special educational needs (SEN) and behavioural problems have a review before being placed in alternative school provision.
We further worked with Sir Alan Steer on his report on behaviour in schools, which included recommendations to improve early intervention and identification and make sure schools are properly able to support children with SEN.
We use every opportunity to raise issues of behaviour and exclusion with civil servants, government ministers and parliamentarians to ensure that the system recognises the links between lack of support, behaviour and autism.
Read our most recent responses to the Government's latest consultations on behaviour and exclusions here: