Mandatory autism training should be introduced for teachers, the House Commons has heard today.
Duncan Baker, Conservative MP for North Norfolk, has introduced a bill to Parliament in the hope of bringing in the change.
The backbench MP said mandatory training would be aimed at identifying signs of autism and helping autistic children to achieve positive outcomes in school.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Baker said: “Less than half of autistic children say they are happy in school.
“73 per cent of young autistic people say their teachers do not understand their needs.”
Autistic children are “twice as likely to be excluded from school in comparison to their peers”, he said, adding that life outcomes are also affected: just 29 per cent of autistic people are in full or part-time employment, and they are paid less on average.
Mr Baker’s comments come just weeks after education secretary Gillian Keegan admitted that the country’s special educational needs and disability (SEND) system is not working well “for anybody”.
Mr Baker told the Commons: “As it stands, 39 per cent of primary school teachers have just more than half a day’s training in autism, such a small amount.
“For secondary school, this drops to just 14 per cent .”
Pupils ‘want teacher autism training’
Currently SEND is considered a specialist area of teaching, he said, and so not all teachers are taught to identify “SEND markers”.
“This needs to change,” Mr Baker said. “Autistic pupils routinely identify autism training for teachers as the single biggest change that would improve their experience of school.”
Early diagnosis would help in identifying the needs of autistic children and “provide a positive pathway”, the MP argued.
He used the 10-minute rule procedure to introduce his Autism (Early Identification) Bill to the Commons.
Mr Baker said: “[The bill] would deliver support to increase autism assessment, reduce diagnosis waiting times and introduce mandatory autism training for all teachers.
“This bill will provide a solid base through which all teachers will learn about early identification, the special educational needs code of practice, the pattern and sequence of child development, what needs to be done if a child has communication difficulties, and understanding and dealing with difficult behaviour.”
The MP said the bill is “supported by the sector”. Its second reading stage was listed for Friday 19 April but it will be unlikely to progress through Parliament without the government’s support.
