The national picture.
A recent NUT survey on the training needs of qualified teachers states, ‘less than a third of teachers (30%) felt confident in teaching children with autistic spectrum disorders. Over two thirds wanted training in this area and over three quarters identified lack of professional development as the main barrier to teaching children with autism’.
The ‘Make Schools Make Sense’ campaign run by the National Autistic Society found:
- 45% of parents say it took over a year for their child to receive any support.
- There are more appeals to the Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Disability Tribunal in England about autism than any other type of SEN.
- 79% of parents who appealed to the Tribunal in this survey won their case.
- Parents say the biggest gap in provision is in the area of supporting the development of social understanding.
- 1 in 5 children with autism has been excluded from school, and 67% of these have been excluded more than once.
- The support and adjustments that children with autism need can be straightforward and can enable a child with autism to play a full role in their school.
- Only 53% of young people aged 14 to 19 years have transition plans, falling to just 34% of students in mainstream schools.