Marsha Martin, Chief Executive of Black SEN Mamas, sets out the systemic barriers faced by Black families navigating the SEND system and the urgent reforms needed.

Disparities affecting Black autistic pupils

In January 2025, Black SEN Mamas sent a submission to the Government’s SEND Inquiry, providing an in-depth examination of the systemic barriers faced by Black families navigating the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. Drawing on focus group discussions with our members, research studies and lived experiences, our submission highlighted how racial and disability-related biases intersect to create significant disparities for Black autistic pupils.

Our submission contained many real-life stories, including Ms L and T’s story, which highlights a lot of the key issues we face.

Ms L, a mother of Caribbean descent, was deeply concerned about her son, T (aged five), who had been struggling in school since early childhood. T exhibited characteristics of autism and ADHD, yet instead of being assessed for neurodivergence, he was labelled as having emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD). His teachers frequently described him as ‘disruptive’ and ‘aggressive’, attributing his struggles to poor discipline rather than unmet learning needs.

Despite Ms L’s repeated attempts to discuss potential neurodevelopmental concerns, the school dismissed her worries, subtly implying that her parenting was to blame. One pivotal incident occurred when T bit his one-to-one support worker, who had no experience in SEND. She immediately labelled him as aggressive. Upon collection, his mother was informed that he had been violent and had attacked a staff member.

Concerned by this serious allegation, she questioned what had led to the incident. During her enquiries, the teaching assistant demonstrated a repeated gesture T had made, placing the tips of his fingers against his lips. When she attempted to restrain him, he reacted by biting her.

His mother immediately asked if he had eaten that day. The school responded that he ‘did not seem hungry’ and had not been given any food. It was later revealed that the gesture T had been using was his non-verbal cue for hunger. When this was not recognised or responded to, he resorted to his secondary cue, which was to bite; something his mother had informed the school about and was clearly stated in his EHCP.

Despite his mother’s attempts to explain his non-verbal communication and the circumstances that led to the incident, the school dismissed her concerns. Instead of recognising their failure to accommodate his needs or sourcing a properly trained teaching assistant, they labelled T as aggressive, a threat to staff and other pupils and recommended that his mother seek a specialist provision school. This recommendation came despite the school receiving allocated funding for his support.

Challenges

T’s experiences reflected a broader systemic issue: Black children are disproportionately placed in categories linked to behavioural difficulties, often because of teachers’ tendencies to rely on implicit biases, rather than accurate assessments. Rather than recognising his attempts at communicating a need, school staff viewed T’s non-verbal cues as confrontational and violent. This misinterpretation led to him being pushed out of school, rather than receiving appropriate educational support.

Ms L faced additional barriers in advocating for her son. When she challenged the school’s approach, staff became defensive, labelling her as ‘aggressive’ and difficult to work with. Her concerns were minimised, and instead of offering support or trying to foster a positive, trusting relationship with mum, school staff suggested social services involvement; an experience shared by a significant number of Black mothers we support, who are unfairly scrutinised when advocating for their children.

T’s case illustrates how systemic biases in the SEND system disproportionately impact Black children, leading to inaccurate labelling, inappropriate interventions and barriers to support. Ms L’s experience highlights the additional burden placed on Black mothers, who often face dismissal, scrutiny and even social services threats when advocating for their children.

The impact of these systemic failures extends beyond the classroom, taking an emotional toll on families who feel alienated, frustrated and undervalued by mainstream education. The constant battle to secure appropriate support places immense stress on parents. For neurodivergent children, a lack of support can lead to disengagement from education, resulting in poor academic outcomes, lower self-esteem and increased absenteeism or school refusal. Without proactive inclusion initiatives, many neurodivergent children also face stigma from peers, educators and even their communities (family members), compounding their sense of isolation and exclusion. These barriers create a cycle where Black SEND children are not only denied the education they deserve but are also left without the confidence or resources to reach their full potential.

Recommendations for reform

To address these disparities, Black SEN Mamas proposes urgent systemic reforms, including:

• independent SEND assessments to remove local authority bias
• mandatory cultural competence and neurodiversity training for educators and SEND professionals
• greater accountability and funding transparency in local authorities’ SEND provisions
• inclusion initiatives to educate pupils on neurodiversity and reduce stigma
• parent involvement in EHCP decision-making, ensuring that Black SEND families have a voice in shaping policies that directly affect them
• stronger outreach programmes to support early intervention and reduce barriers to SEND support
• financial and educational support for homeschooling families, particularly those who feel forced out of mainstream education because of systemic failures.

The proposed SEND reforms address some of these recommendations (eg greater funding transparency in new inclusion strategies).

Given the current barriers, it is essential to get SEND right to ensure that Black, neurodivergent children receive equitable, culturally competent and effective SEND support. Black SEND families have long been ignored in mainstream SEND discussions, and we challenge decision-makers to move beyond performative action and deliver real, lasting change.

About Black SEN Mamas

Black SEN Mamas supports nearly 8,000 Black, special educational needs and disabled (SEND) families across the UK.

We run a wide range of mental health support interventions, including support groups, psychotherapy sessions and alternative therapeutic interventions. We also offer SEND advocacy and SEND legal services. Our support team includes SEND lawyers, SENCOs, behavioural therapists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, and other specialists, all of whom are Black mothers of SEND children. A significant number of the mothers who make up our service users are neurodivergent themselves.

We will be launching Black SEN Papas soon.

We are also working in Parliament, as a direct line for SEND families, into policy change.

Read more at blacksenmamas.com

This article first appeared in Your Autism magazine. Become a member and get Your Autism delivered to your door four times a year.