Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of disallowing mainstream school students from being given EHCPs on (a) autistic children in mainstream schools and (b) their families.

The government is determined to restore confidence in the system of support for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and ensure they get the chance to achieve and thrive in their education and beyond.

We are working with organisations who represent parents, local authorities, SEND organisations, education settings and others on how best we can strengthen the system and deliver better support for children and their parents, and we are committed to getting this right. We will set out our proposals for SEND reform in a Schools White Paper in the autumn.

The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group has brought together experts to make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children within mainstream education settings. ​

We have made no decisions at the moment on the future of education, health and care plans. There will, however, always be a legal right to additional support for those with SEND.