Latest News for Parents & Carers

A new report by the Resolution Foundation has found a massive income gap between Disabled people and non-disabled people, resulting in many more Disabled people not being able to afford basic necessities such as food and heating.

It has always been the case that the number of boys being diagnosed with autism far outnumbers the number of girls. While it used to be thought it was the “extreme male brain”, it’s now thought that diagnosis has historically just been missed in girls. For one, many autistic females develop “masking” behaviours to try to fit in, but a bigger problem is that autism checklists are designed to capture behaviours most displayed by males. It’s not uncommon for women, like myself, to be diagnosed much later in life, often as a result of their own children’s diagnosis.

Campaigners have warned transport secretary Mark Harper that “discriminatory” plans to remove guards from trains, cut staff and close ticket offices will prevent many disabled passengers travelling on the rail network and put lives at risk. Reports have suggested that the government’s rail reforms are likely to see about four-fifths of ticket offices closing, while campaigners led by The Association of British Commuters (ABC) have called on the Equality and Human Rights Commission to take “urgent action” on railway staffing.

In a departure from his role as Law commentator, Douglas Silas looks at recent research from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on the educational experiences of young people with SEND in England. The ONS report is entitled ‘Educational experiences of young people with SEND in England: February to May 2022’, and its contents are important as they may influence forthcoming developments in the law relating to special education.

At two years of age, David Downes began to draw. It would be another few years before he learned to talk, and another 30 until his autism diagnosis. David has a photographic memory, which he puts down to his neurodivergent brain. He can recall the places he has visited in brilliant detail and paint them from his recollections.