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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.

Sean Duggan, chief executive of the mental health network at the NHS Confederation, which represents the health and care system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said that a lack of long-term investment combined with a potential surge in demand due to the cost of living crisis would cause unsustainable pressure on the system.

The families of children receiving palliative care face both the horrendous grief of not knowing how long they have left and the battle of the cost of living crisis. Sophie Lewis knows one day she will face the most devastating moment for any parent – her daughter will die. But when Isabel is gone the family will be left with not just overwhelming grief, but also a mountain of debt.

Worsening health in Britain has led the number of new disability benefit claims to double in the past year, according to a report. The Institute for Fiscal Studies said claims for the personal independence payment (Pip) benefit had doubled to 30,000 a month between the summer of 2021 and July this year, with no sign of slowing.