Memorandum submitted by the National Autistic
Society (ST 15)
INTRODUCTION
The National Autistic Society (NAS) is the leading
charity for people with autism spectrum disorders in the UK. It
has a membership of over 12,000, a network of 60 branches, and
60 affiliated organisations in the autism field. The NAS exists
to champion the rights and interests of all people with autism
spectrum disorders and to ensure that they and their families
receive quality services, appropriate to their needs. There are
approximately 520,000 people with autism spectrum disorders in
the UK. The NAS welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Every
Child Matters Green Paper.
Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group
of lifelong developmental disabilities that affect the way a person
communicates and relates to people around them. People with autistic
spectrum disorders experience difficulties with social interaction,
social communication and imagination—known as the "triad
of impairments". A recognised prevalence rate for ASD of
one in 110, indicates that all services should expect to come
into contact with young people on the spectrum. Moreover, in a
recent survey by the NAS primary school teachers reported a prevalence
rate of 1 in 86 pupils in school.
RESPONSE TO
THE BILL
Since the introduction of the Special Educational
Needs and Disability Act 2001 (SENDA), it is unlawful to discriminate
against disabled pupils and prospective pupils in admissions,
exclusions, education and associated services. For this reason
any new school transport schemes must be devised with regard to
the particular needs of those with autism.
Good school transport is essential for pupils
with autism and their families. Inappropriate or inflexible school
transport arrangements place a great strain on families with children,
especially those with children attending different schools. We
are aware that levels of autism awareness varies from borough
to borough which can lead to great differences between the quality
of provision that pupils with autism receive.
We are particularly concerned to hear that some
local education authorities have taken the decision not to issue
statements of special educational needs (SEN) for those with Asperger
syndrome. We assume that this is due to a lack of understanding
of the disorder and its impact. This trend is significant as some
local education authorities provide free school transport only
to children with SEN statements.
We welcome the example highlighted in the Government's
Travelling to School Action Plan, which demonstrates a school
transport scheme for pupils with severe mobility impairments,
and would like to see examples of such schemes that reflect the
needs of pupils with non-physical disabilities such as autism
and learning disabilities. We also welcome the prospect of driver
continuity highlighted in the prospectus as people with autism
generally prefer consistency and find dealing with unfamiliar
people difficult.
SENSORY DIFFICULTIES
ASSOCIATED WITH
AUTISM
Many people with autism have heightened sensitivities
to noise and sound, which are often overlooked. If pupils find
their environment too noisy or bright this can be very distracting
or even painful. This can lead to challenging behaviour and due
to the nature of autism as a communication and social impairment,
the pupil may not be able to communicate to the teacher/driver
the reason for their discomfort. Many people with autism have
a lower hearing threshold, which makes them particularly sensitive
to auditory stimuli which makes it difficult for them to block
out sound. Sensitivities to noise can vary greatly from person
to person so it is impossible to be prescriptive about what all
people with autism require, but there are common factors and principles
to take into account. Therefore those devising transport schemes
should consider the sensory difficulties experienced by those
with autism in order to create a scheme which is truly accessible
to those with autism.
POOR SENSE
OF DANGER
"My son has absolutely no sense of danger.
He loves trucks and cars and buses and things and he'll just walk
into the middle of the road to touch one . . ."
Parent of a child with autism
Well over half of those caring for a person
with autism (58%) describe using transport as difficult for those
they cared for, with 30% describing it as very difficult. Inability
to perceive danger is seen as the most serious barrier to accessing
transport.
SHARING SCHOOL
TRANSPORT WITH
PEERS & ESCORTS
It is not possible to generalise about the particular
transport needs of individuals; however we do know that many pupils
with autism need an escort to accompany them to and from school.
Having a trained individual to travel with the pupil can help
maintain a calm and safe environment for those with autism and
others travelling with them. It is very important that those escorting
pupils with autism have autism awareness training.
The Government's draft prospectus which accompanies
the draft school transport Bill states "Our presumption is
that wherever possible pupils with statements of SEN will share
transport with their peers, but where this is not possible LEAs
will make every effort to identify ways to combine journeys and—if
possible—share vehicles and schedules with social services
or health service transport."
Whilst the National Autistic Society appreciates
that sharing vehicles is a cost-effective way of addressing school
transport, the sensory difficulties experienced by people with
autism mean that it will not always be appropriate for pupils
with autism to share with their peers. A noisy school bus could
overwhelm a child with autism, cause acute anxiety and have a
detrimental effect on their ability to concentrate at school.
A pupil with autism may have repetitive behaviours that seem strange
to other pupils and may lead to teasing and bullying on the school
bus. We are aware of several examples where sharing school transport
with peers has had a detrimental impact on the welfare of children
with autism.
"My son . . . travels without an escort.
In reality he probably doesn't really need an escort for his daily
journey to school, because on his own in the taxi he is placid
and well-behaved. However if another child were to travel with
him then an escort would definitely be needed as he can get very
protective about his space and could lash out."
Parent of a child with autism
GOOD PRACTICE
EXAMPLE: LONDON
BOROUGH OF
SUTTON
Pupils A and B both have Asperger syndrome and
used to share a car to and from school with child C who had a
medical condition. C's medical condition meant that the driver
had to stop the car regularly in order to allow child C's carer
to provide the medical treatment C needed. A and B did not have
anyone to supervise them whilst C's carer helped C with his treatment.
A and B, like others with autism, lack a healthy
sense of danger which meant that A and B could leave the car and
run into the road. The boys' school contacted the London Borough
of Sutton to explain that this school transport scheme did not
acknowledge the particular needs of those with autism and left
A and B and others in danger. The Borough responded by providing
a separate vehicle for A and B with an escort with an understanding
of autism.
CRIMINAL RECORDS
BUREAU CHECKS
There is confusion amongst parents and professionals
regarding Criminal Records Bureau checks for those acting as escorts
for pupils with autism. We know that some boroughs allow escorts
to start working before they have received their CRB checks. We
urge the Government to do all it can to clarify the duties regarding
CRB checks placed on local education authorities.
We are also concerned about relief drivers who
"fill-in" when a regular driver is absent who have not
undergone any checks. When transport services are contracted out
it is important that relief drivers have been CRB checked.
CONSULTATION WITH
PARENTS AND
CARERS
The NAS welcomes the opportunity to highlight
its views on the School Transport Bill and has used this opportunity
to consult with parents and professionals. However we believe
that it is essential that individual LEAs responsible for piloting
new school transport schemes consult as widely as possible within
their area to help them to devise a scheme which reflect the particular
needs of pupils with autism.
April 2004
| 
