Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) parents and (b) guardians of children who are high on the spectrum of autism who have accessed respite care in each of the last three years.

The department does not collect specific information on the numbers of parents/guardians who access respite care. However, The Children and Families Act (2014) provides a framework to ensure that children with autism are identified early and receive the support they need. A disabled child would fall under the category of a child in need and parents, guardians or professionals could make a referral to the local authority children’s services who are best placed to assess the needs and priorities of disabled children in their area.

Information regarding how much local authorities have planned to spend on their short breaks/respite provision through the authorities’ annual section 251 returns can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-local-authority-school-finance-data.

Giving children and young people with autism the right start in life is hugely important in ensuring that they can have successful and rewarding lives. We want all children, no matter what their special educational need or disability, to be able to reach their full potential and receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. That is why we have put in place significant reforms, aimed at making the system less confrontational and promoting better involvement of parents and a real focus on outcomes and transition to adult life.