Nearly a third of parents of children with autism have had to give up their job due to school exclusions

The charity surveyed over 900 parents and carers of children and young people with autism to learn about their experiences with the education system.

The survey revealed the impact that school exclusions have on wider family life:

• 30% of parents said they had given up their job due to school exclusions.
• 29% said they had missed days from work.
• 20% said they had reduced their working hours to part-time.

Parents also reported an increase in the number of unlawful exclusions affecting their children—56% saying their child had been sent home early, worked on a reduced timetable, or asked not to come on a school trip without an official letter being received.

In 2016, 45% of parents reported their child suffered an unlawful school exclusion.

Further problems

The survey also revealed broader problems with how children with autism can access the right support at school. Nearly 40% of those who have a child with an Education, Health, and Care plan (EHC) said they had waited over 18 months for an assessment, despite a 20-week statutory deadline for assessments. EHC plans legally obligate local authorities to provide extra support for pupils with special educational needs.

Meanwhile, 90% of parents said the stress of getting their child the right support at school caused them to lose sleep.

Jolanta Lasota, Chief Executive of Ambitious about Autism, said: “Children and young people with autism and their families are being badly let down by our education system.

“It’s very worrying that parents are reporting an increase in ‘unofficial’ exclusions – such as children being banned from school trips or sent home early. These add up to hundreds of hours of missed education, but they slip under the radar because they are not officially recorded. We must make sure schools are held to account if they break the exclusions rules.

“The wider cost to families – and society – resulting from problems at school is very troubling. Parents are having to give up jobs to look after children forced out of education, creating even more stress and instability in their lives. We must work towards a more inclusive education system for the benefit of all.”

Earlier this year, Ambitious about Autism published findings showing official exclusions of autistic pupils have increased by nearly 60% since 2011.

Recommendations

Ambitious about Autism supports several recommendations to tackle the growing rise in autism exclusions. These include:

• Ensuring Ofsted has the power to thoroughly investigate unlawful exclusions and take appropriate action.?
• All school staff – including teaching assistants and support staff – should be trained to understand autism.
• Strengthening the system’s accountability to ensure schools and local authorities are incentivised to support autistic children. For example, examining whether to make schools financially and academically responsible for children they exclude or place in alternative provision.

The charity is running a campaign called We Need An Education, calling for a fairer deal for children and young people with autism in education.

*Ambitious about Autism completed an online survey between August 14 – October 2, 2018, completed by 901 respondents.