Issue - meetings

To consider the Motion submitted by Councillor Bennett

It was moved by Councillor Bennett, seconded by Councillor Spencer and unanimously:

RESOLVED:

 Living with Autism/Aspergers within the Education System

Autism is a disability, one that cannot be seen but is a disability that is for life.  It does not go away or disappear but if managed properly and systems put into place, certainly in the early years, can help these children live a better life.

Without understanding autistic people they are at risk of being isolated and developing mental health problems.  Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is much more common than many people think. There are around 700,000 people on the autism spectrum in the UK, that's more than 1 in 100.  If you include their families, autism is a part of daily life for 2.8 million people.

For young people with ASD their emotional state often captures the essence of the day. A student who is confused, scared and anxious cannot focus on the teacher’s tasks or their own learning.  For many young people with ASD, anxiety is part of their daily life.

Children with ASD who attend mainstream schools have to put up with daily “bullying”, “feeling isolated”, “being excluded” and dealing with the stigma that is attached ASD.  They can’t often clearly articulate their emotional predicament, and may communicate their discomfort in more basic ways such as hitting out, screaming, avoiding situations, running away or closing down, 34% of children with ASD say that the worst thing about being at school is being picked on.

Due to the lack of training in ASD, many teachers expect these children to behave like everyone else, which is impossible.   A recent study finds that while the academic provision for children with ASD has "improved tremendously" in recent years, much remains to be done.  Practitioners trained in ASD education say that one of the biggest challenges is a lack of knowledge and understanding among schoolteachers. Despite the government's policy of inclusion of pupils with special needs, mainstream schools find it difficult to integrate pupils with ASD.  For a child to be successful in mainstream school, the school must want to make the most of every opportunity for the child and include the parents.

Instead of recognising the atypical development of children and young people with ASD, teachers tend to view them through a "typical lens", comparing their behaviour with children who do not have the condition. Some believe they can force autistic children to behave as other pupils do, or that it is a condition that they will grow out of.  Many teachers do not realise, for example, that the challenging behaviour can be accompanied by high intelligence.

Children who have Aspergers, which is now ASD have been deemed to be "too bright" for support, and yet "can't work with other children and they struggle to understand some instructions".  Autistic pupils make the most progress when teachers provide an individualised programme that addresses specific social, personal and learning difficulties.

It is remarkable that emotional wellbeing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 101