Autism: Children (Hansard, 4 December 2003)

§ Baroness Ashton of Upholland

The Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice gives statutory guidance to schools, local education authorities and others on assessing children's special educational needs and making provision to meet those needs, including the needs of children with autism.

Autism is a spectrum disorder with children across the spectrum showing the full range of intellectual abilities. Many children within the spectrum can, with the right support, achieve in national curriculum assessments and external qualifications alongside their non-autistic peers. Special arrangements are available under the national curriculum and from awarding bodies to allow children with SEN to take examinations and tests on an equal footing.

There are no qualifications or records of achievement that are specific to children and young people with autism. However, there is a range of arrangements for assessing the progress and recording the achievements of children with special educational needs, including those with autism, for whom the usual assessment arrangements and public examinations are not suitable. The department, with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, has published guidance to help schools, including special schools, to set targets for children with SEN who are performing below national curriculum level 1 or within levels 1 and 2 in English, mathematics and science. The guidance contains performance criteria, the 'P' scales, which can be used to assess pupils' progress. Award schemes are available through which the key life skills of young 36WA people with SEN can be recognised and "progress files" can be used to record their academic and non-academic achievements. The working group on our 14 to 19 reforms, under the chairmanship of Mike Tomlinson, will be looking at assessment arrangements and how hey can be used to motivate all learners.

A primary aim of SEN support is to enable young people with SEN to make successful transitions from school to further education, training and adult life. The SEN Code of Practice, effective from January 2002, contains strengthened transition planning arrangements involving the Connexions service. In addition, under the Learning and Skills Act 2000, the Connexions service, on behalf of the Secretary of State, must carry out assessments of all young people with statements of SEN who are in the last year of compulsory schooling and are intending to go on to further education or training or higher education and may carry out assessments in other circumstances. The assessments are of the young person's education and training needs and the provision required to meet those needs. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) must have regard to these assessments when arranging a young person's provision and the Connexions service is expected to work with the LSC and other providers to make suitable learning opportunities available to young people with SEN. Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, further and higher education and training providers must make reasonable adjustments to prevent discrimination against disabled students and potential students and, since September 2003, provide auxiliary aids and services.

The Government will shortly be publishing its SEN strategy. The strategy will contain practical measures to support local education authorities and schools, working in partnership with others, in improving provision for all children and young people with special educational needs.