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One in Six Autistic Pupils Hasn’t Been to School Since September. This Is a National Failure!

  • Deanna Newell
  • Jul 5
  • 3 min read

By Deanna Newell


One in six autistic pupils in the UK has not attended school at all since September.


Around one in five autistic pupils are also persistently absent, missing significant periods of their education.


These are not just statistics, they represent thousands of children whose futures are being shaped by systems that are failing them.


This is not because autistic children do not want to learn. It is because too many schools, health services and public bodies are still failing to meet their needs.


Autism is not a mental health condition. It is a lifelong neurodevelopmental difference.


ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and other forms of neurodivergence are recognised neurodevelopmental conditions.


Mental health difficulties often arise because of repeated misunderstanding, unmet needs, bullying, exclusion and trauma, not because a child is autistic.


Children are not traumatised by autism. They are traumatised when systems fail to understand them.


A broken system from the very beginning


Across England, thousands of children are waiting far beyond NHS targets for autism and ADHD assessments, with many families waiting more than two years for answers.


During this time, children struggle in school, families are left without support, and many reach crisis point.


For families involved in family court proceedings, the situation is often even worse.


Domestic abuse, coercive control, financial abuse and safeguarding concerns are frequently not identified early enough, leaving children navigating long and stressful processes without their needs being understood.


This is why I am campaigning for a Mandatory Family Justice Triage System, to identify domestic abuse, coercive control, neurodiversity and safeguarding concerns at the very beginning of every family court case.


Early identification saves children from prolonged harm.


Our family has lived this reality


I am autistic. Both of my children are autistic.


For more than three years, both of my children were out of school.

We home educated because there was no suitable alternative.


We worked long hours, made financial sacrifices and put our children’s needs first.

Eventually, we secured places at an independent school where they finally flourished.


Our children excelled in CAT4 assessments and passed the 11 Plus. They did not become more capable, they were finally in an environment where they felt safe, understood and able to learn.


That stability did not last however. The loss of bursaries, combined with the introduction of VAT on independent school fees, significantly increased costs.


For families like ours, who turned to independent education due to lack of suitable state provision, this created an even greater financial burden.


At the same time, thousands of families are still waiting for autism, ADHD and sensory processing assessments due to national backlogs. Children often wait months or years while struggling in unsuitable environments, often falling behind despite having the ability to thrive with the right support.


No parent should be forced to choose between financial hardship and appropriate education.


Neurodivergent families are constantly underestimated


As autistic parents, we are often told we are “too focused” or see things “too black and white.” and yet those traits are often strengths: attention to detail, determination and persistence, the ability to see the bigger picture in an instant.


These are the same skills that are needed to navigate education, health, and legal systems that are complex and difficult to access.


My determination began long before motherhood. As a child, I survived cancer. Books became my escape during treatment and recovery.


That focus became one of my greatest strengths, and now drives my campaigning for reform across family justice, education and child welfare systems.


The law already protects children, but it is not being delivered



These protections exist, but too many families cannot access them in practice.

Rights without implementation are not rights at all.


What must change


  • Introduce a Mandatory Family Justice Triage System

  • Reduce NHS autism and ADHD assessment waiting times

  • Increase SEND funding and specialist school places

  • Fund Education Reset programmes for children out of school

  • Improve training for judges, Cafcass officers, teachers and social workers

  • Ensure Section 19 provision is properly delivered

  • Review VAT impact on independent school fees for SEND families


Children cannot wait


Every month another child disappears from education.

Every year more families reach breaking point.


The system is failing, not the children.

Neurodivergent children do not need fixing.

Our systems do.


Change is not optional anymore. It is urgent.

 Deanna Newell Family Law

Advocacy for truth-tellers, survivors, and the children who deserve better

 
 
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