Our new Absence Notes campaign
We have launched a new campaign called Absence Notes inviting autistic young people and parents to share stories explaining the reasons behind school absence.
The campaign launches as the Government is due to publish its long-awaited plan to reform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system.
New research
Over a third of autistic pupils have missed up to a month or more of school since the start of the academic year in September, according to new research we carried out recently.
The biggest cause for non-attendance was mental health issues (62%), followed by issues with physical health. A fifth (20%) were out of school because their school place was not suitable.
Our new Absence Notes campaign is inviting autistic young people and their families to share their experiences of being or feeling absent from school, and the impact this has had on them.
This includes 20-year-old Erin who is still in her final year of school after missing so much of her secondary school education.
She said: “For years my autism went undiagnosed and I struggled with severe mental health problems. My teachers did their best but couldn’t work out why I was having such a hard time.
“If my needs had been identified and I had received an autism diagnosis and proper support early on, I wouldn’t have struggled so badly with my mental health, ended up in psychiatric care, and missed out on learning.”
Sarah’s autistic son Sam,13, is now being educated at home after his transition to secondary school left him at breaking point.
She said: “He no longer wanted to be here, let alone go to school. The old Sam is now completely gone; he rarely leaves the house. If I wasn’t self-employed, I would have had to quit my job to support him.
“What Sam needed at school would make life better for everybody. He needed less focus on strict rules for minor issues which trigger anxiety in autistic young people and less focus on rigid school uniform policies which trigger sensory needs. He needed a quiet door to enter school and a space to reset with consistent staff. It isn’t rocket science.”
The Absence Notes campaign launches as the Government is due to publish long-awaited plans to reform the SEND system. This is expected to include a focus on improving mainstream schools, where over 70% of autistic pupils receive their education.
Nearly half of respondents to Ambitious about Autism’s survey said they felt blamed by the Government for missing school. To end the lost learning crisis, the charity wants to see mainstream schools equipped to provide appropriately funded support to autistic pupils.
Jolanta Lasota, Chief Executive of Ambitious about Autism, said:
“For autistic young people school absence can take many different forms. It’s being in class but not included. It’s being sent home because autistic traits are misunderstood. It's being denied a school that’s right for your needs.
“As the future of the SEND system is being decided, our campaign is giving a voice to those directly affected by these decisions, namely autistic young people and their families. Their experiences of lost learning should be a stark warning to decision-makers.
“We cannot allow another generation of young people to miss out on opportunities to learn, thrive and achieve. We must ensure mainstream schools have the knowledge and confidence to support autistic pupils and these young people remain able to access specialist support when they need it.”
Get involved
We are encouraging supporters to turn absence into action by signing a collective note to the Government, with the aim of ensuring SEND reform works for autistic young people.
For more information visit www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/AbsenceNotes
