Today, the Government published its plans for how it will reform the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system.
Reforms are much needed and have been long promised. But rumours and leaks have caused a lot of anxiety for families about what reforms will mean for the support their child receives.
The first thing to say is that none of the changes will happen immediately and there’s still a lot that needs to be worked out.
The paper has lots of proposals that could really help autistic young people
We are encouraged to see a commitment for much-needed investment, ambitions for every child with SEND to have support in place through Individual Support Plans and plans to expand inclusion bases in mainstream schools.
But we need much more detail and clarity to feel confident
More reassurance will be needed to really address the fight and the exhaustion that autistic children and their families have been facing for years. To get SEND right, overworked SENCOs, teachers and staff will need proper training, capacity and support, and autistic children’s access to a school place that is right for them must be protected.
Over the coming days, we will be carefully analysing the Schools White Paper to understand exactly what it means for autistic people and their families. We will be back in touch very soon with more information, plus advice and guidance for getting involved and getting your voice heard through the Government’s consultation.
This is a once in a generation opportunity. We will work together to make these reforms the best they can be for autistic people. Thousands of us are ready to act, stand up for the autistic community and make sure reforming the SEND system means giving autistic children the support they need to thrive.
I’ll be in touch soon,
Ella
Campaigns Manager
Share This Post:
Leave a Reply