National Autistic Society issues School Report
The National Autistic Society have issued a School Report based on the views of over 4,000 parents, carers and autistic young people surveyed during Summer 2021. There are over 160,000 autistic pupils within schools across England and over 70% are in mainstream settings. The report paints a decidedly troubling picture and on top of challenges that were present before, the pandemic has had a profound impact on the learning and mental health of these children and young people. Caroline Stevens, Chief Executive of the National Autistic Society, said: “The education system simply isn’t working for autistic children and their families, and things have been made even harder by coronavirus.”
Some of the main findings are:
- A quarter (26%) of parents waited over three years to receive support for their child
- Three quarters (74%) said their child’s school place did not fully meet their needs – this has almost doubled since 2017
- Only one in four parents are satisfied with the special educational needs support their child is receiving
- Less than half of autistic children are happy in school
- 44% feel their child’s special educational needs are not being met in general
- Seven in ten autistic children and young people said school would be better if more teachers understood autism
The NAS have created a petition to ask the Education Secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, to invest in autistic children’s futures in the SEND review.
