Friday, 13 February 2015

Thank you for your email.

Ambitious about Autism is asking parents, teachers, schools, and policy-makers to support our campaign aims:
1.    Every family of a child with autism knows their rights, and has the resources to help their child get the support they are entitled to at school
2.    Every school has access to an autism specialist teacher, to build capacity among schools staff and to support children with autism to learn and achieve
3.    Every Local Authority sets out in its local offer the support available in its area to ensure children with autism have access to quality full-time education.

In your e-mail you ask regarding:

4.    make sure that children with autism and their families are able to access high quality childcare and early years education
5.    make sure every child and young person with autism has access to a good quality, full-time school place and is taught by teachers who have received autism awareness training
6.    commit to reducing the numbers of young people with autism who are out of education, employment, or training
My responses are:

1.    I support this for all pupils, including of course those with autism.
2.    I support, although the current government’s regrettable fragmentation of education, with academies and so-called Free Schools (with attendant cherry-picking), means that this demand is going to be hard to meet.
3.    Alas, the current government’s regrettable fragmentation of education, with academies and so-called Free Schools, means that this demand is not practical.
4.    I support this for all pupils, including of course those with autism.
5.    I support, although the current government’s regrettable fragmentation of education, with academies and so-called Free Schools (with attendant cherry-picking), means that this demand is going to be hard to meet.
6.    I support this for all young people, including of course those with autism.

Best wishes,

Rob


Dear Mr Marris,

I am writing as a constituent of Wolverhampton South West to ask you to sign up and pledge to improve the lives of children and young people with autism.

Children and young people with autism are less likely than their peers to access high quality childcare, education, employment or training. Much progress has already been made but we know much more must be done if children with autism are to learn, thrive and achieve.

Ambitious about Autism is the national charity for children and young people with autism.

We need to act now because:

- 83% of parent carers say a lack of suitable childcare is the main barrier to paid work

- 4 in 10 children with autism have been excluded informally and therefore illegally during their time at school

- only 1 in 4 young people with autism access education or training beyond school
Missing out on education leads to poor life outcomes for young people with autism, difficulty for parents to stay in work, and long-term costs to society.

By signing Ambitious about Autism's General Election pledge you are agreeing to:

• make sure that children with autism and their families are able to access high quality childcare and early years education
• make sure every child and young person with autism has access to a good quality, full-time school place and is taught by teachers who have received autism awareness training
• commit to reducing the numbers of young people with autism who are out of education, employment or training

Please let me know if you will pledge your support, to help improve the lives of children and young people with autism in our area.

Please email campaigns@ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk with a sentence stating your support for the pledge.

Many thanks in advance for your help on this vital issue.


Sincerely,

Sara Jane Gorman



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