The government has put forward solutions in its SEND green paper. But we're concerned some of these proposals risk making things worse and writing off autistic young people before they've even left school. That's why we are calling on the government to uphold current laws that help children with SEND get the assessments, support and school place they need, and protect their funding, to avoid making things worse and causing active harm to children and families.
We know that school budgets are under enormous pressure, not least with rising energy costs. But we also know that when schools need to make cuts, it is children with SEND who feel the impact first – resulting in even less access to support.
The additional £2bn for education announced in the Autumn Statement restores education funding per pupil back to 2010 levels. However, there are more than twice as many autistic children in schools and colleges now than in 2010. As school budgets come under increasing pressure from the cost-of-living crisis, we fear the most vulnerable will be hit the hardest.
As more pupils come through the SEND system, we need a firm commitment from the government to deliver funding that will cover the cost of the support they need. Without this guarantee, we risk writing off autistic young people's chances to learn and achieve.
Families we've spoken to also fear that some of the proposals in the SEND green paper will make it even harder for their autistic children to access support in education – for example, by limiting parents' ability to choose a school for their child.
Currently, parents of children with SEND who have an education, health and care plan can request a school for their child based on their own judgment of what would work best. Under the proposals in the green paper, parents would choose a school from a “tailored list” approved by the local authority, rather than based on their own judgment as now.
More than half (57 per cent) of families we surveyed said these tailored lists would not result in their child getting a school place that works for them. Many parents are concerned the lists will prioritise cost over support needs. Parents already face an uphill battle trying to find a suitable school place for their child – limiting their choice could make that battle even harder.
Every day, Ambitious about Autism provides direct support to hundreds of autistic pupils and learners and their families through our specialist schools and college, while nationally we support thousands more young people through our youth and employment programmes.
We know how to tackle the problems in the SEND system that hold back autistic children and young people. We are calling for a focus on policy solutions that make all schools more autism inclusive. This includes investing fully in an autism-trained workforce and ensuring Ofsted gives higher priority to SEND support in its inspections.
Thousands of people have already signed our petition calling on the government to protect the SEND funding and rights they rely on for support.
As the government prepares its delayed response to the SEND review, we hope decision-makers act on what autistic children and young people and their families are telling them.
More from www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk
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Jolanta Lasota is chief executive of charity Ambitious about Autism
