Today the Government has published its Schools White Paper, which lays out plans to reform the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system.

This ambitious paper includes lots of proposals that could make a positive difference for young autistic people at school, including the roll-out of more ‘inclusion bases’ in mainstream schools. However, we will need more detail and clarity from the Government to make sure these proposals work for all autistic pupils.

In response to the proposals, the National Autistic Society is calling for:

• Families to be meaningfully involved throughout any assessment of children’s needs and in the development of support plans.
• All school staff to have mandatory autism training so they understand autistic children’s needs and can provide the right support to ensure they thrive at school

Mel Merritt, Assistant Director of Policy, Research and Strategy at the National Autistic Society, said: “We welcome the Government’s ambition for every child with SEND to have support in place through new Individual Support Plans. But autistic children and their families have been left exhausted and traumatised by long fights for support. They need much more reassurance that there will be strong accountability for schools to manage these plans and that the appeals processes will be effective. Failing to deliver the right reforms will let children down and has long-lasting impacts that autistic people, families and the government will spend a lifetime paying for.

“We are deeply concerned that reforms to EHCPs and the SEND Tribunal may risk autistic young people missing out on the school place that is right for them. Parents of autistic children need to know their child will get the most suitable school place and, while improved mainstream inclusion will help more children get the support they need, for many a place in a specialist school will be the only option.

“Extra investment is long overdue, and we are happy our recommendation to expand provision of inclusion bases has been met. But there is not enough in the reforms to give overworked SENCOs, teachers and staff the full training, capacity and support they need for these reforms to succeed.

“We will respond to the consultation to make our concerns clear including the need for: mandatory autism training for all school staff; meaningful involvement of parents in the development of support plans; and for families’ rights to ensure autistic children get the education they need in the most suitable environment and with the right support to thrive.”