Voiceover Script:

Autism is not a problem, however it is one of the hardest

conditions to define due to its complex and varied nature.
Autism is one of the hardest conditions to define due to its
complex and varied nature. As many as 1 in 100 people in the
UK alone have autism: thats approximately 700,000! Of this
number, 1 in 100 are children. The National Autistic Society
estimate that as much as half of these children are not in
schools which give them the required support.
This documentary will be investigating why provisions for
pupils with autism are so scarce and takes an in-depth look at
why more and more parents are electing to remove their
children from mainstream education in favour of specialist
schools or even home-schooling.
We talk to the people on the front-line of education: the
teachers and pupils themselves and ask, are students with
autism being excluded from schools?
Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, is a developmental disorder
which affects how an individual interacts socially,
communicates and their interests and behaviour.
Aaron Sullivan is 18 years old and lives Hastings with
parents, brothers and their many,[many] pets. Aaron is
currently in his final year of college, but outside of the
classroom has taken an active role in advocating the rights
for those like him with ASD.
As well as raising awareness, Aaron has been involved in
educating his teachers and fellow pupils about how they can
create a positive and supportive environment for students like
him to work in.
While Aarons experience in college and secondary school have
been overwhelmingly positive, he faced numerous difficulties
at his primary school. The attitudes at this particular school
meant that they failed to recognise the fact that he even had
Aspergers Syndrome.
Currently in England and Wales, pupils with autism are
categorised as children with special educational needs or
SEN. Each school has SEN-coordinator (or SENCO) who oversees
the care and support for each SEN student.
Support for pupils and their families is wide ranging across
schools but is completely dependent on the local authority.

Furthermore, the process of being recognised as an individual

who has special educational needs [or gaining statement] has
been exceedingly complex and drawn out.
While schools individually may strive to support their SEN
students the current arrangement means that students are often
unable to gain the required support and help within a
mainstream school environment.
However the Children and Families Act 2014 passed in March
that came into force from this September simplifies the system
and replaces Statements of Special Educational Needs with a
single assessment process and an Education, Health and Care
Plan (ECP).
The act also provides statutory protection for young people
who are in education or training up to the age of 25 instead
of ending at 16. It places a requirement on health services
and local authorities to jointly commission and plan services
for children, young people and families.
As a result the process for supporting pupils with ASD in
theory is becoming [much] more streamlined. However it
remains to be seen whether this legislation will be
effectively adopted across mainstream schools and if the
number of students being shut out of schools begins to
decline.
END OF PART ONE.