§ Mr. SimmondsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to develop education facilities for children with(a) autism and (b) Asperger's syndrome. [168970]
§ Margaret HodgeThe Government are playing its part in raising awareness of autism and working in partnership with the voluntary sector and others to improve provision. Some children with autism benefit from mainstream provision, others from specialist provision. The SEN legislative framework and accompanying guidance helps schools and LEAs to support children with autism in the right setting. Children with autistic spectrum disorders, including those with Asperger's syndrome, are benefiting along with others from the considerable additional resources for education and the increase in spending on special educational needs.
My Department has issued, jointly with the Department of Health, guidance from the Autism Working Group to help providers plan and make good quality provision for children with autistic spectrum disorders. In February, we published "Removing Barriers to Achievement—the Government's Strategy for Special Educational Needs." (www.teachernet.gov.uk/senstrategy). The strategy sets out our long term vision for the education of children with special educational needs and a programme of action which incorporates a range of measures to support improvements in provision for these children and young people. These include an Inclusion Development Programme to support partnership projects involving education, health and social care, voluntary organisations, higher education institutions, special and mainstream schools, and early years settings to develop and pilot effective practice. Autistic spectrum disorders will be one of the key areas the programme will focus on initially. The strategy sets out a clear future role for special schools and recognises the part they play in making specialist provision for children with severe and complex needs, including many, with autism and Asperger's syndrome.