Schools are “struggling” to provide for autistic pupils following a 25 per cent increase in autism diagnoses in the past four years, according to government data and local area inspection letters.
The first published inspections of councils’ “local offers” for special education needs and disability (SEND) provision warn of rising autism referrals and lengthy waits – with a nearly 40 per cent increase in pupils with autism statements since 2012 in one area.
Of the 13 joint inspections carried out by Ofsted and health watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC), only one did not mention autism in their final letter – and 11 referred to “rising” demand for autism diagnoses or issues with service delivery. One letter was positive.
Sweeping reforms to SEND provision under the Children and Families Act of 2014 means children are now less likely to be seen as having behavioural needs and are instead recognised as autistic, said Kat Dockery, SEND co-ordinator at Greenwood academy in Birmingham.
“Pupils used to get statements for behaviour and it would be presented as a behavioural difficulty. With that category gone because of reform to the SEN code, they now look at it and think, ‘it might be autism’.”
Children once seen as having behavioural difficulties are instead recognised as autistic
The number of pupils with special educational needs – although not necessarily an official statement – reduced by 72,660 between 2015 and 2016, according to the government’s most recent census. The overall figure has dropped from 1.3 million to about 1.22 million.
But pupils with an autistic condition as their primary need on their statement or Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) now make up 25.9 per cent of all pupils with statements, compared with 24.5 per cent in 2015. Since 2012, there has been a 25.5 per cent increase in the prevalence of autistic conditions on statements overall.
In the inspection letters, Bolton council near Manchester was told providers in its area were “struggling to meet the demand for referrals and diagnosis for autistic spectrum disorders”, with a knock-on effect for behaviour in schools.
North Yorkshire was also told to improve post-diagnosis support following “a large increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism”, and in Nottinghamshire a group of schools was said to be “identifying a rise in the number of children and young people diagnosed with autism”.
Gloucestershire county council told Schools Week there had been a 35 per cent rise in children with autism over the past three years, while there was a 39 per cent increase since 2012 in the Greater Manchester combined authority.
Enfield in north-east London was congratulated for addressing rising levels of diagnosis.
Across 13 inspection letters from July to December –which are “narrative” rather than graded judgments – autism was mentioned more than 30 times.
Only one council’s letter, Stoke, did not mention it.
Other special needs such as dyslexia, anxiety, attention hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Down’s syndrome and hearing impairments were infrequently mentioned, with Schools Week finding one instance of dyslexia, one of Down’s and two of ADHD.
Autism was possibly “the most complex of all special educational needs”
Autism was possibly “the most complex of all special educational needs” because it varied so much between individuals, according to Dockery, yet it was hard to get funding because of some pupils’ high cognitive ability.
“Every pupil with dyslexia has a very similar profile, whereas with autism you can’t repeat your provision for one pupil again and again because they’re all so different.”
Rochdale borough council was told to submit a “written statement of action” after Ofsted and the CQC criticised high waiting times for autism diagnoses and a “lack of ability and expertise of mainstream schools” for pupils with autism.
Two of the council’s four areas of “significant weakness” related to autism. A spokesperson for Rochdale said rising diagnoses was “in keeping with a wider national and regional trend.
“We are aiming to put an ‘autism champion’ in every school to help to ensure the social and emotional wellbeing of pupils who need support.
“Additionally, despite the fact we are faced with the challenge of meeting increasing demands with limited resources, we are now completing a new SEND strategy that includes a significant increase in autism support.”
I agree with the article as a SENCo in a mainstream primary school I have seen the increase of children with a diagnosis and those still waiting. This increase has its toll on resources and staff as we are expected to become experts in providing support and learning for children with often complex needs, and decreasing funding. I am aware of teachers who have left the profession because of the strain this can have as the emphasis for class teachers to take responsibility for their cohorts has increased, and rightly so. However if this is to continue, local authorities need to provide better support to schools not only in the form of ensuring EHCPs are given, but with training and helping schools to equip themselves to support and educate our ASD children.
Meanwhile DfE still refuses to fund additional places in specialist provision. In this week’s announcement on high needs funding reform they say LAs will be able to move money out of the Schools Block and into the High Needs Block if they get agreement from the Schools Forum and a majority of all schools. That is hardly likely to happen especially in areas where schools are losing money in the national funding formula.
Some of it relates to the pressure on schools to improve standards. But if DfE see this scale of diagnoses, some of which are severe enough to warrant places in special schools or units, then isn’t it discriminatory to refuse to fund the provision?
These numers are too high. Are they really autistic ?
You don’t get an autism diagnosis or EHC easily. There is mountains of paperwork and specialists who carry out tests before deciding on a diagnosis or an EHC. The article also mentions that there has been a change of guidance. I would be interested to know your basis for thinking these children aren’t autistic? You say the numbers are too high but the article doesn’t mention a number of children only a percentage increase. I wonder how many children with an autism diagnosis you have met?