To not recognise Kemi Badenoch's views on ASD?

@Paw5
I think it depends on the school to some extent

Well, Jenrick was ahead of her in the Petty minded cruelty to children at the taxpayer's expense, stakes. But he was only being performatively cruel to foreign children.

Kemi upped the ante.

@TheSnugHare I agree. I think we are.

Of course there's a Tory leadership election, so Badenoch is throwing out all her best lines to her adoring fans on the far right...

It couldn’t be more further from the truth and is the exact opposite

Agree with this. It's depressing when the source of the issue - a lack of funding in general - is ignored and people blame each other. How would that fix anything?

I find threads like those total echo chambers. It's a really weird club. I suppose you could say that about SEND threads, but people's comments tend to be grounded in experience rather than fears.

What are these accommodations?

And how do they disadvantage non disabled pupils?

Who do you think is responsible for that “pressure” @Ilovetowander ? (Clue: it’s not the SEN DC, or their parents, or the school, or OFSTED).

Might it be the LA, who is ultimately responsible for the costs of educating SEN children (which increase exponentially if the child can’t remain in a LA-maintained mainstream school)?

@Vinvertebrate
Not experience with my DC as I have one child with needs one no additional needs. However, I have school experience and therefore my experience is first hand and not born out of jealousy but from what I have seen.

@NameChangeUser183794639
I disagree - the pressure that teachers are under to accommodate those with additional needs at many secondary schools is enormous, I accept that is does vary.

@Ilovetowander I think you’ll find that those of us who have actually experienced getting reasonable adjustments for our children laugh hard at the idea that schools (let alone OFSTED FGS) prioritise them and their needs.

It sounds more like you/your DC is pipped off that someone with the protection of equalities legislation (because they’re disabled) uses it to get something that you/your DC can’t access (because they don’t need it). Shall we rip out the wheelchair ramps too, while we’re busy hobbling vulnerable children? That’s giving wheelchair users “priority” after all.

They're really not prioritised.

The schools receive extra funding that the child often barely benefits from. Children with ASD or ADHD are often subject to weekly detentions and expulsions. Their self esteem is often damaged by it. That is actually more likely for the 'moderate to mildly' presenting in mainstream schools, as they are seen as being deliberately obstinate, non-engaging and confrontational instead of struggling. It's a huge scandal that some journalist needs to cover.

Many parents feel pushed into home educating as a last, desperate resort.

I think arguing that accommodations for autistic people with “mild” needs (not really such a thing) should be removed is like saying that people who can’t always walk should have their wheelchairs and mobility aids removed to fund fancy shoes and cars for abled bodied people because it’s “not fair”. This is a load of shit and I feel like we’re going backwards as a society

@Vinvertebrate

My point is that it doesn't become a level playing field, what is happening is that schools have accommodated pupils with mild and more moderate needs. In the process of becoming more accessible those middle pupils are prirotiesd . If this country wants to improve then it needs its children to ensure that education for the middle group allows them to up their game. What has happened is that Ofsted have focused upon those with with additional needs so schools have given this group priority - maybe not all schools but certainly some.

Can you give a specific example of this? Because as far as I’m aware, these so-called privileges such as extra time are put in place for reasons such as needing extra time to process and understand or they may have other extra difficulties which mean they need more time because of their disability, and these accommodations are put in place because of the way their disability effects them. If you argue that a non disabled person might need these accommodations due to other things going on in their lives, a disabled person could still have issues with their disability AND things going to on in their lives. These accommodations just help to put disabled and non disabled on the same kind of level so they can have similar opportunities in life

Oh give over @Ilovetowander - disabled children getting their needs met takes nothing away from others. It’s meant to level the playing field and the schools don’t exactly fall over themselves to offer any reasonable adjustment. If other DC don’t appreciate the difficulties experienced by some ND children at school, and feel hard done by, we need to raise them with better empathy and understanding. Not take the support away from those who need it.

That's completely fair and I only mention it because all other mentions of her I've seen on here has been rapturous praise for her comments about trans people.

Whilst I think KB's comments go too far I feel in agreement with some of what she is saying. What has happening in schools and colleges is that certain groups have been given higher priority than others. Whilst it might not feel like special treatment the amount of funding directed towards those with with mild to medium needs and the additional help given in terms of exam time, support, deadlines means those groups have in general been given privileges over and above the average pupil. The average student is almost forgotten as they can cope, we should be seeking to ensure that all students aspiring to achieve their potential rather than narrowing the gap. It is not surprising some pupils feel resentful of the privileges afforded for some students at schools or that some parents voice similar opinion. This view does trickle through to society - I am not talking about those with high needs but those for whom the support etc provides them with a privilege. Admittedly there is a fine line as to where this line is.

It won’t let me edit it but I want to add I thought you needed evidence like that to get diagnosed but maybe I’m wrong

My autistic son with an EHCP is without a school place and the LA are providing nothing. We are taking legal action but the LA are lying and blustering all the way to a judicial review. It cost us £6k before legal aid kicked. My son is definitely getting preferential treatment.

@Zahariel can you give some specific examples of a parent saying the right things to get an autism diagnosis for their child. I was diagnosed myself privately as a child but I had been admitted to hospital for self harming and issues with my sleep because I couldn’t cope. I would also run away when distressed. How do you determine if someone is faking or not?

I think most of us here would disagree with her trans statements too. You can't make that judgement that we are against trans rights just because we are on mumsnet. I don't have any strong opinions on it really possibly because my childs rights are being destroyed and that is more pressing, but it really fucks me off when I hear the 'don't know what a woman is' statement like it's the only thing that matters and that it makes abhorrent behaviour somehow acceptable.

Anyway, we are talking about autism here and there is a random troll being a massive nob about posting a load of made up shit up thread too that is derailing too.

And yet if this thread was about her comments about trans people 95% of people on this site would be agreeing. Crazy how it's fine to agree with conservative and cruel statements about one group of people but this is apparently just below the belt

How do you know you're autistic @Zahariel?

Zahariel · Today 14:34

What can I say.

Just an idea, but how about "nothing" ?