The National Autistic Society responds to the Government’s new campaign about school attendance, with the view that this campaign has completely missed the mark and fails to take into account the struggles which many autistic children and young people face in the classroom.
Tim Nicholls, Head of Influencing and Research at the National Autistic Society, said: “This campaign completely misses the mark and fails to address the huge barriers autistic children and young people face every day in the classroom. School shouldn’t be a tick box exercise in attendance. It should be about ensuring all children get the support they need to be able to thrive from well-trained staff who understand their needs.
“We know there’s a high rate of school absence for autistic children. Our research shows that only a quarter (26%) of the more than 200,000 autistic pupils in England are happy at school. But this is no surprise when only 53% of autistic young people said they have someone to go to if there is a problem at school, and almost three in four parents (74%) say their child’s school doesn’t meet their needs.
“Instead of shaming parents and children for low attendance at school, the Government should prioritise urgent reform of the education system. We won’t accept a world where autistic children miss out on an education, and families are left on the brink of crisis.”
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