Compulsory Autism Training for School Staff Announced

Last week in a Daily Telegraph article it was revealed by the Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan MP that autism training will now become a key aspect of core teacher training in future.

Until this new initiative was announced, no formal training for assisting children with ASD has been provided to trainee teachers; indeed many have never received any formal special educational needs training. This obviously puts such teachers at a disadvantage in terms of providing the necessary support for children with complex needs within a mainstream environment and not being able to fully understand how to assist them with their learning. With over 70% of autistic children attending mainstream settings, this further training for staff will prove vital.

Any parent of a child or young person with autism will undoubtedly be pleased by this announcement. Adjustments for a child with ASD in particular are essential. Structured support, visual timetables and differentiated instructions are just some of the examples of additional support autistic pupils will benefit from. Without the training or knowledge to implement these however, teachers will often overlook the necessity of doing so.

At present however, it will often remain the case that mainstream schools often do not have the resources, nor expertise to cater for the needs of an autistic pupil. Even with additional training, that is not to say that all mainstream provisions are able to meet the needs of pupils on the autistic spectrum.

If you would like to speak with an education law solicitor at HCB about your case, they are on hand to assist parents with securing appropriate support for their child, usually through obtaining a well-drafted Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) from the Local Education Authority. If you have a child who requires additional support at school then the expert lawyers within the Education Law Department can advise you through this often complex process.