Children with special needs are especially at risk of exclusion from primary school and then failing in secondary school, new research shows. The study found that more than 90 per cent of children excluded in primary school do not go on to pass their GCSEs in English and maths. And it found that almost all of the children excluded at primary school (up to 97 per cent) have special needs. Chance UK chief executive Vanessa Longley says it is crucial to get in early to support children Charity Chance UK compiled the figures. Its report, Too Young to Leave Behind, says increasing numbers of chil ..read more

Teachers and support staff in colleges must understand the needs of neurodivergent learners.  At PAST, we are passionate about working with and supporting neurodivergent learners. We know these children and young people have so much to offer, yet the education system often fails them because staff do not have the right skills and experience. This is something we want to change. PAST offers a range of training programmes. They help teaching and support staff feel empowered and equipped to help their neurodivergent learners meet their potential. Everyone benefits when everyone understands ..read more

The family of an autistic man have won a High Court case against a council that wanted to deduct more than £2,000 a year from his benefits. Michael Sherratt, 27, is an autistic man with learning difficulties. He lives with his mum, Stephanie, who is his primary carer. The Royal Courts of Justice in London, which houses the High Court and which saw the family of an autistic man defeating their local council over his benefits Michael has a care plan and Bolton Council has assessed him as having high levels of need. He receives additional support for this, covered by direct payment and sta ..read more

Prosecuting carers who unintentionally go above the earnings limit for their benefit is “unforgivable”. That’s the view of Katy Styles, founder of the We Care Campaign. Katy Styles with husband Mark. Full-time carer Styles believes DWP prosecutions of carers are “unforgivable” Styles, whose group defends carers’ rights, criticised the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for prosecuting carers. She condemned the DWP for targeting carers who have inadvertently exceeded the £151 per week earnings threshold for claiming Carer’s Allowance. Styles, 55, from Canterbury, is a full-time carer for ..read more

Black and Asian parents have told of their struggles against stigma, shame and honour in trying to fight for acceptance of autism. Venessa Bobb says minority families still focus on “normalising behaviour” rather than accepting and understanding autism. Venessa Bobb, founder of A2ndvoice, says stigma and myths about autism are still “very prominent” in black and Asian communities Bobb’s 21-year-old son and 18-year-old daughter are both on the autism spectrum. Bobb was herself diagnosed with autism in her 50s. Taboos and myths She set up the community group A2ndvoice in South West London. The ..read more

The Wingate Centre is an independent charity based in the heart of the Cheshire countryside. Residential breaks and holidays, specialising in SEND The Centre provides subsidised school residential breaks and holidays for schools and groups, with a speciality in accommodating individuals with special educational needs and disabilities. Open from February to December,  our residential accommodation offers excellent facilities for all needs and abilities, including several changing spaces, profile beds, adapted wet rooms, a sensory room and much more. What customers say “A superb experience ..read more

TG Escapes buildings designed with natural materials make excellent learning spaces for autistic students. TG Escapes modular eco-buildings use modern construction methods, traditional materials and sophisticated technology, to create a standalone timber frame space that is net-zero in operation. They have provided over 800 buildings UK-wide and were awarded Contractor of the Year at the 2021 Education Estates Awards. Biophilic classrooms for SEN at Rabbsfarm School in Middlesex Well suited to special needs settings The use of biophilic design principles, natural materials, easy access to th ..read more

A campaigning mum who lost her autistic son after he was given antipsychotic medication in hospital says she is “devastated” over the death of another child in the NHS. Paula McGowan described the death of 11-year-old Mattheus Vieira as “wholly preventable”. The boy died from sepsis at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, Norfolk. Paula McGowan says some NHS health boards have been too slow to roll out autism and learning disability training McGowan lost her own son, Oliver, after he suffered an allergic reaction to an antipsychotic at Bristol’s Southmead Hospital. The 18-year-old ha ..read more

A UK Government body has warned of a ‘crisis’ over delays in issuing education, health and care (EHC) plans. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman criticised councils and the Government over the delays. Nigel Ellis, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman chief executive, blamed a lack of planning for the crisis It said the holdups were because too few educational psychologists were undergoing training. It also said there was a shortage of speech therapists and occupational therapists. Significant impact The Ombudsman said the shortage of educational psychologists was having ..read more

The UK Government should extend education health and care plans (EHCPs) to provide a legal duty to support autistic young people in work. EHCPs would then become employment health and care plans. Jolanta Lasota, chief executive of Ambitious about Autism, wants to see the introduction of employment health and care plans That’s the view of charity Ambitious about Autism. It says the idea is needed to boost the employment of autistic young people. Legal duty At present, EHCPs impose a legal duty to support autistic young people in school. The same responsibility should apply in the workplace, t ..read more