Support for children with autism in the education system in the UK

In regards to special educational need (SEN) provision across the UK, the government has promoted the inclusion of individuals with special educational needs in mainstream schools where possible. The role of inclusion has become an essential part of the education system in the UK (Dyson & Millward, 2000). In 1994, a Code of Practice for SEN was introduced by the UK government and a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) was appointed to every school. The SENCO is responsible for the identification and assessment of children with special educational needs and to provide appropriate provision for individuals within a typical classroom setting (Dyson & Millward, 2000).

Until recently teachers along with the SENCOs planned future support for children, which was known as School Action (Early years action in early years settings; DfES, 2001). In cases where the child needed extra help, external support services were provided by a specialist teacher, an educational psychologist, a speech and language therapist or another health professional (DfES, 2001). This extra support was called School Action Plus (Early years action Plus in early years settings).

Different mechanisms were available to monitor service delivery, including Individual Education Plan (IEP); and Person Centred Plan (PCP). However, following the introduction of the Children and Families Act (2014) these actions are replaced by a single category named SEN support.

The Children and Families Act (2014) was introduced to improve services for vulnerable children and young people including special educational needs (SEN) and a new Code of Practice for children with SEN and disabilities was outlined. One of the key changes is the replacement of the Special Education Needs Statement (SENS, 2007) and Learning Difficulty Assessments (LDAs) by Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans. The EHCP is a legal document that identifies the SEN needs of a child, focusing on the educational elements that were also covered by statements, but also covers the individual’s health and social care needs and refers to children and young people up to the age of 25. An EHCP can be applied for by someone’s school, their

parents, or by the individual if they are aged between 16-25 years old.

In regards to the relationship between parents and professionals, the Warnock Report commissioned in 1974 by the then Education Secretary, Margaret Thatcher recommended the inclusion of parents in the assessment and supportive processes for children with SEN. Warnock’s thinking has been reflected in the Education Acts that

have followed since that time (Cole, 2005). The 2004 Children Act (DFES, 2004) underlined the importance of valuing parental contribution, including parents in the support process, along with the importance of professionals making more effort to communicate and network with each other and with parents (DFES, 2004). There are now additional services based on the Sure Start (1998) initiative (O’Connor & Futh, 2006) that provide children and their parents with support and there are also designated Parent Partnership services (DCFS, 2007) which are monitored by the Local Authorities. It has been argued that all these efforts to improve parental rights have made parents more confident to raise their concerns (Carlson & Cornwall, 2006).

A key element of the revised Code of Practice in the Children and Families Act

(2014) concerns the requirement to involve children and parents in the process. Thus, local authorities must have regard to their views and let them participate in decisions to be made. More specifically, young people (over the age of 16) and parents have a statutory right to be involved in the decision-making process with respect to assessments, service provision, planning and support. This new Code of Practice promotes more family inclusion and the personalisation of each SEN plan based on the individual’s needs. Additionally, there is a focus on the positive aspects of each individual and the Government encourages cooperation between local authorities, health services, schools and families.

With respect to the Early Years Services, Eisenstadt and Melhuish (2014) noted that England adopted two successful approaches; they brought all early education and child care provision under a common regulatory framework and they merged services across agencies, mainly via the Sure Start programme. According to Eisenstadt and Melhuish (2014) the aim of the Sure Start programme was to merge health, education and social welfare services in various communities (especially in area with levels of child poverty) for all the families of children under 4 years old. In addition, the programme focuses on helping parents with their parenting skills and supporting them in order to reduce their stress. Another early year programme that was adopted in England is the Family-nurse partnership (FNP), which is based on a US nurse home visiting programme (NFP-nurse family partnership). The objective of the specific programme is to intervene early and help first-time parents and their children. More specifically, the services are provided by a nurse home visitor who focuses on the social and emotional health of the family as well. However, in England the specific services are provided only to mothers under 20 years old and a variation is provided to a wider group. Political will and the involvement of Her Majesty’s Treasury in

policy formulation are considered the most important facilitators of these changes in the early years services. The Treasury also promotes the cooperation of the departments of health, education and employment on social policy issues (Eisenstadt and Melhuish, 2013).