Reforms and special educational needs

The following excellent article comes from the Epolitix web site

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By Sarah Lambert, head of policy, National Autistic Society - 2nd August 2011

Wider reforms of the education system do not seem consistent with the proposals for special educational needs reform, says Sarah Lambert, head of policy at the National Autistic Society.

The National Autistic Society (NAS) welcomes the government's ambitious proposals to reform the special educational needs (SEN) system, which is set to be the 'biggest overhaul of SEN in 30 years'. However, we urge the government to look carefully at its wider reforms of the education system and to both listen to, and involve, parents in the reforms to ensure that their ambitions can be translated into tangible action.

Sadly, we hear all too often from parents that children are not getting access to the support they need in a timely way, and that far too many of them are having to fight to get the support their child needs.

'Great Expectations', a NAS campaign launched this summer, highlights the struggle that parents face. Almost 50 per cent of children with autism have had to wait over a year between the time that concerns were first raised and the right support being put in place, and over a quarter have had to wait more than two years. Almost a fifth of parents who responded to the NAS' survey had been to tribunal to get the support they needed for their child. This is unacceptable.

The government's reforms propose addressing some of these issues, by introducing measures to ensure that SEN is picked up earlier and by bringing together assessments of need, with the aim of improving multi-agency working and to make it easier for parents to navigate the system.

Yet at the same time, wider reforms of the education system, such as removing the duty on schools to co-operate with local children's trusts, and a reduction in the role of local authorities in coordinating local educational provision, do not seem consistent with the proposals for SEN reform. Further clarity is needed on how local authorities can become champions for children with SEN, while at the same time having a reduced role in education at a local level.

As the government's reforms take shape, it is also vital that accessible mechanisms for parents to hold local schools and local services to account are developed. This will help the system to become much more responsive to local need and in turn ensure that appropriate support is in place for all children with SEN to help them meet their full potential.

The government reforms will shape the future of a generation of children with autism. We must take this chance to strengthen the voices of parents, improve outcomes for children, and transform families' lives.