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Autism and Learning Disability Training
21 November 2023
Lead MP
Caroline Dinenage
Gosport
Con
Responding Minister
David Johnston
Tags
TaxationEmploymentChildren & Families
Word Count: 9395
Other Contributors: 10
At a Glance
Caroline Dinenage raised concerns about autism and learning disability training in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The speaker asks the Minister for an assessment of learning disability training quality, conversations with charities and experts by experience, confidence levels among education professionals in teaching neurodivergent children, and extent to which students' experiences are considered. She also requests consideration of a mandatory training model similar to Oliver McGowan training used in health and care staff.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The speaker is concerned about the lack of training for education staff in autism and learning disabilities, citing statistics that only 26% of autistic pupils feel happy at school and over three-quarters of parents or carers say their child's school place does not fully meet needs. She notes that teachers are passionate but need better support to help neurodivergent children thrive.
Barbara Keeley
Lab
Worsley and Eccles South
Paid tribute to Paula McGowan for her work in securing the debate and raising awareness about autism and learning disabilities. Barbara highlighted that while significant steps have been taken, such as training 750,000 healthcare staff, there is still much more to be done. She mentioned a constituent's child who was limited to two hours of school due to being labelled 'too naughty' despite showing traits of autism. The MP also discussed the importance of education, health and care plans for children with special educational needs but noted that only 55% of eligible pupils have them. Will the Minister give way?
Carla Lockhart
DUP
Upper Bann
Emphasised the importance of supporting children with autism from nursery and pre-school settings, stating that early support is crucial.
Helen Hayes
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
Welcomed the work of Paula McGowan for her son Oliver, highlighted concerns about reducing EHCPs, mentioned the increase in autistic children's presentation and the need for better training for education staff working with them. Noted persistent absence rates are significantly higher for autistic children compared to other students.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Committed the debate and highlighted that older students with autism should receive similar support to those in schools, referencing Northern Ireland's enhanced autism training programme.
Julian Smith
Con
Skipton and Ripon
Agreed that understanding the challenges faced by autistic individuals requires significant time and acknowledged the discrepancy between what children experience and how teachers perceive it. One of the challenges for autistic children is that many people they interact with in school have not received appropriate training, leading to a behavioural context treatment. He agrees that persuading teachers and other personnel about why these actions are not behavioural issues could be beneficial. Congratulated his colleague on the work being done for families with autistic children and emphasised that standing up for these families is challenging. Raised concerns about additional staff training, including dinner and food providers. Highlighted the importance of recognising the unique strengths of autistic children alongside their challenges.
Highlighted work being done by Caudwell Children's national centre to provide timely diagnosis for children with ASD through her role as chair of the all-party parliamentary group for disability.
Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
Ms Marion Fellows shared her personal experience with autism in education, highlighting the importance of raising awareness and training for teachers and support staff. She praised Scotland's approach to neurodevelopmental support and professional learning opportunities for educators.
Peter Gibson
Con
Darlington
Thanked the Minister for the opportunity to raise awareness and supported families dealing with neurodiverse conditions. Mentioned attending understanding autism training and established an autism forum in Darlington. Mr Peter Gibson asked Labour about what they would do differently in government to address recruitment challenges in the sector, specifically regarding autism training.
Acknowledged the importance of the debate and suggested using the Oliver McGowan training programme as a model for education professionals.
Tim Farron
Lib Dem
Westmorland and Lonsdale
Noted that many constituents wait up to two years for an education, health and care plan and expressed concern over the lack of NHS funding for young people with autism in child and adolescent mental health services. He thanks the hon. Lady for her point and suggests that even without additional funding, better allocation of funds would improve support for children with autism spectrum disorders. He notes a disparity where schools supporting such children are underfunded until they reach a £7,000 threshold, while others avoid this financial burden.
Government Response
David Johnston
Government Response
Acknowledged the Member for Gosport's role in mandating learning disability and autism training. Mentioned that teachers focus on SEND at each stage of their training, with over 100,000 education professionals undergoing autism awareness training through the Autism Education Trust's model. Discussed the universal services programme which has seen 6,600 staff access training modules, with 2,300 participants reporting improved confidence in identifying and meeting needs. Emphasized that parents' voices are crucial in elevating issues related to SEND support. Highlighted plans for a new national professional qualification for SENCOs due in autumn next year and funding of 7,000 early years staff for an accredited level 3 SENCO qualification. Clarified there is no target to reduce EHCPs but rather to provide support at earlier stages without the need for EHCPs.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.