‘No clear plan’ for children with disabilities to return to school - LETTER

Regardless of where people stand on this matter, there is a level of choice offered to parents as to whether they want to send their child to school. However, there a group of children and young people who have had little attention in this debate.

The government guidance for children with SEND is vague and fails to consider the heterogenous nature of disability. For children who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) this whole period spent in quarantine has been a confusing time, from structure, routine, social stimulation and access to resources to spending time at home without any respite.

For some families this period has bought with it stress, anxiety and uncertainty. A price worth paying when it involves keeping their children safe, however, as the news of schools opening has been announced, it can be argued that families looking after children with special educational needs and disabilities would benefit from much needed respite and a clear plan for school return for their children.

This has not been forthcoming. Children with special educational needs and disabilities may not have the capacity to fully understand and put in practice safe distancing, so to manage risk it can be argued that a clear message stipulating delayed school opening for children with special educational needs and disabilities be put forward by the local authority but with a clear alternative plan which meets the needs of the families within a timeframe with the view to preventing families reaching crisis point. But as the adherence to the Care Act was relaxed families have been coping with what has been a particularly challenging time.

The lack of a clear message and a plan for children with education, health care plans to safely return to their educational settings is a significant concern. If there is to be a delay for children with SEND needs in accessing education then home tutoring or direct payments for parents to use for respite must be considered to ensure that families receive the support in a timely fashion.

I would urge both the Peterborough MPs to consider raising this as a matter of urgency.

Nazreen Bibi

Autism specialist nurse and disability rights activist