The right training for every teacher

Due to the presumption of mainstreaming, more children with autism are being educated in mainstream schools than before.

Nevertheless, our findings underline that teachers and other school staff are not being sufficiently trained in autism to enable them to meet their legal duties under the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 to make 'reasonable adjustments' so children with autism can learn.

Only 35% of parents of children in mainstream schools are satisfied with the level of understanding of autism across the whole school. Families are particularly unsatisfied with secondary school subject teachers' understanding of autism.

 

 

• The Scottish Executive should fund, develop and distribute packs on autism for teachers and support staff which provide practical information, ideas and support on how best to support the differing needs of children with autism.

• Local authorities should work with the Scottish Executive to ensure that every principle teacher of learning support, or other senoir member of staff, receives training in autism. This training must be sufficiently in-depth so that they are able to meet the needs of children with autism, and can disseminate best practice to other staff in the school.

Other pages

The right school for every child with autism
The right training for every teacher
The right approach in every school
make school make sense heroes
make school make sense reports
make school make sense index
NAS make school make sense pages