‘The school will accommodate that, that is their obligation.’ This is what I heard at my mediation meeting last year, when we were trying to get M an EHCP. That may be true, but without an EHCP detailing the support your child needs, schools may not provide it. There are a number of reasons for this, including

• Lack of funding 
• Lack of understanding of the child’s condition. 
• Personal beliefs of school staff (this is a sad truth)

If EHCPs become the last resort for support for children with special needs, the government MUST invest in schools to be able to support the children deemed with low-level needs. I personally believe that the following must be put in place. 

• All teachers receive training in neurodiversity 
• All schools must have an accessible uniform for those with sensory needs. 
• Parents need a way to record their voices, and schools must respond to their comments within a specific time frame. 
• Every school should have a teacher who is a parental champion, supporting SEND parents through their parenting journey. 

The problem with autism in girls is that it is masked, which is what makes autism in girls so difficult to recognise.  Schools will not always see any autistic traits until the autistic girl reaches breaking point and goes into meltdown or burnout. Most of the time, it is the parents at home who deal with the consequences of the child masking all day at school. It is a very lonely place to be, as a parent. This is where parents need support. Autistic children need support at school to reduce meltdowns at home. 

Whilst we know there is no endless money tree, surely education is one of the most important things to invest in. If we can give our children the best start in schools, then surely our investment will pay off with successful individuals. If we can invest in our autistic children when they are at school, and work to give them the tools they need to cope in a world that doesn’t always provide what they need, then surely our investment pays off, with successful individuals contributing to society. 

What concerns me the most with these proposed changes is that autistic women and girls will become forgotten, as they are not classed as being high need. This could lead to an increase in autistic girls with low school attendance or dropping out completely. It could lead to an increase in mental health issues, self-harm and even suicide, as autistic girls will once again feel marginalised. These measures once again are male-centred, not understanding the subtlety of autism in girls. I therefore invite the government to create a separate plan for the education of autistic girls in order to create resilient women of the future.