Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many children in England under the age of 18 are diagnosed with (1) autism spectrum condition, (2) ADHD, (3) dyslexia, and (4) dyspraxia; how many children currently receive special educational needs support at school; how many children and young people aged up to 25 have an education, health and care plan; what were the equivalent figures for all the above in 2014; and what action they are taking to adapt schools to better meet the educational needs of neurodiverse children.

The department publishes annual figures on Special Educational Needs (SEN) for pupils in state-funded schools in England. The most recent figures are for January 2023 and information on the primary type of need for pupils with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan or SEN support is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england.

2014 data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2014. Please note that prior to 2015, SEN categories were classified as the School Action and School Action Plus which were combined from 2015 to form one category of SEN support.

In January 2023, 115,984 pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as their primary type of SEN had an EHC plan and 90,779 had SEN support.

In January 2014, 49,975 pupils with ASD had an EHC plan, or statement of SEN, and 26,040 received SEN support (School Action Plus).

The department does not collect data specifically on pupils with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia and dyspraxia.

The department also publishes annual figures on children and young people in England with an EHC plan. The most recent figures are for January 2023, which are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans.

In January 2023, 517,049 children and young people aged up to 25 had an EHC plan. In January 2014 237,111 children and young people had a statement of SEN, which were replaced by EHC plans from September 2014.

On 22 November 2023, the department announced the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programme. This new programme, backed by £13 million of investment, will bring together Integrated Care Boards, local authorities, and schools, working in partnership with parents and carer to support schools to better meet the needs of neurodiverse children. The programme will deploy specialists from both health and education workforces to upskill schools and build their capacity to identify and meet the needs of children with autism and other neurodiverse needs. One of the key programme metrics will be attendance, as the department recognises that addressing unmet needs and making school more inclusive supports good attendance. The programme will be evaluated, and the learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodiverse children.