SEND Provision: Autism and ADHD

Opened the debate

Pippa Heylings addressed the crisis in special educational needs and disability support, particularly affecting children with autism spectrum disorder or ADHD. She highlighted the struggles faced by families and carers, professionals struggling within limited budgets, and the emotional impact on dedicated staff. The speech included personal testimonies from schools such as Bassingbourn primary school, detailing specific cases of children being excluded due to a lack of support during transitions. Heylings also discussed regional disparities in care provision and lengthy wait times for assessments, leading to 200,000 children struggling without the necessary education plans. She emphasised the need for early diagnosis, equitable funding across regions, and additional resources such as educational psychologists.

Government Response

Catherine McKinnell acknowledged the challenges highlighted and emphasised the Government's commitment to reforming the SEND system. She discussed initiatives such as improved teacher training, a universal SEND services contract providing training for staff on supporting autistic children, and partnerships for inclusion of neurodiversity in schools with £13 million investment. Additional measures include establishing a task and finish group focusing on inclusivity for neurodivergent children, allocating £740 million for high needs capital funding to adapt mainstream settings, and ongoing reviews to ensure effective use of the national funding formula. McKinnell thanked Heylings for bringing forward this issue and reaffirmed the Government's dedication to delivering better support for young people.