Autism policy and services: Education

This briefing will form part of a collection of briefings on autism policy and services.

What is autism?

The National Autistic Society (NAS) describes autism as a lifelong neurodivergence and disability that affects how people experience and interact with the world. It is a spectrum condition that affects people in different ways. According to the NAS, autistic people may have:

different communication styles, skills and preferences to non-autistic people

repetitive and restrictive behaviours and interests (many autistic people see these behaviours as positive and helpful)

over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to the five main senses (hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch) and to the senses of balance, movement, spatial awareness and awareness of internal states

Some autistic people also have a learning disability. Autistic people are more likely to experience mental health problems than non-autistic people.

What terminology does this briefing use?

This briefing uses terminology recommended by the NAS. It uses the term ‘autistic people’ unless quoting text from another publication.

Autism is sometimes referred to as ‘autism spectrum disorder’, ‘autistic spectrum disorder’ or ‘autism spectrum condition’. These terms are often used in relation to medical diagnoses and data reporting. Where these terms are used in the briefing, it is to reflect the data or text source they are referring to.

The term ‘neurodiversity’ refers to the normal range of variation in the way people’s brains work, including how they perceive and respond to the world. A person whose brain works differently from a ‘typical’ person may refer to themselves as neurodivergent; some, but not all, autistic people identify as neurodivergent.

What support does the government provide for autistic children?

Under the Children and Families Act 2014, local authorities have a duty to identify needs in their area and commission services to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In January 2015, the government published a SEND code of practice.

In March 2022, the then Conservative government published the results of a review of the SEND system’s effectiveness as a green paper for consultation. In March 2023, the government published a SEND and alternative provision improvement plan. The plan included intentions to establish national standards for SEND and alternative education provision, and to standardise and digitise education, health and care plans.

What support is available to autistic people in higher education institutions?

England’s statutory SEND system does not extend to higher education. Higher education providers are instead bound by different statutory duties under the Equality Act 2010 when it comes to supporting autistic students. This includes a duty to anticipate and put in place “reasonable adjustments” to avoid autistic students being treated less favourably than their peers. There is also different funding in place, known as the Disabled Students’ Allowance