June 23, 2019, Guardian: Crisis in special educational needs drives parents to court court https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/jun/23/special-educational-needs-crisis-court-cases-soar A funding shortfall for children with special educational needs has led to a surge in court appeals, as families turn to legal action to secure extra help from cash-strapped councils. With a 26% rise in the last financial year in the number of court appeals by families, MPs are warning of a crisis in special needs care. It is the third successive year that an increase has been recorded. The total of 6,374 appeals lodged in 2018-19 was almost double the number of three years earlier, according to analysis by the Special Needs Jungle website. The increase in legal action comes amid what insiders describe as a perfect storm hitting provision for special educational needs and disabilities (Send). Schools are struggling to meet the extra costs. That is heaping further pressure on councils, which have a legal obligation to provide care for children that require it. That in turn has led more families to the courts to fight for resources for their children. A backlog of cases is growing, and more judges are being recruited to deal with the workload. And after almost a decade of funding cuts to local authorities, families are now challenging the government at the high court over its funding for Send. Gillian Doherty, founder of the parents’ campaign network Send Family Action, said: “Tribunal figures have almost doubled since 2015, and the system is under so much pressure that three-quarters of tribunals are being postponed. Families are appealing and winning in 89% of cases because judges recognise the legitimacy of their challenges. “Local authorities simply don’t have enough money to meet their legal obligations to children with special educational needs. Provision has been eroded to the point where the entire Send system is collapsing.” The Local Government Association has said councils are facing a national special needs emergency and require more funding from government to meet “colossal demand”. To secure help, parents need to receive an education, health and care plan covering the resources they require. Families are battling to overturn decisions not to hand them a plan, have their plan altered, or have it extended. A recent report by the IPPR North thinktank revealed that funding for special needs pupils had been cut by 17% across England since 2015. It said that the north had been worst affected, with cuts of 22% per pupil. Ministers have argued that funding for children with the most complex needs has increased from £5bn in 2013 to more than £6bn this year. However, the children and families minister, Nadhim Zahawi, has acknowledged the huge “cost pressures on high needs budgets” for local authorities. An extra £250m in funding was allocated last year and 37 new special schools had been approved, the minister said…. “While only 1.6% of all appealable decisions are appealed, the same rate as in 2014, we do accept that the number of children with EHC plans has also increased. …
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Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.
Loss of Brain Trust features over 9,000 news stories published worldwide since January, 2017
Anne Dachel, Media editor, Age of Autism
http://www.ageofautism.com/media/
(John Dachel, Tech. assist.)
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What will happen in another 4 years? How can we go on like this? This is a national (and international) problem of monumental proportions. We have an entire new class of children who cannot be accommodated by the system: many are manifestly neurologically impaired. Meanwhile, the government and the medical profession sleep on regardless.
John Stone,
UK media editor, Age of Autism
The generation of American children born after 1990 are arguably the sickest generation in the history of our country.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
It seemed to me that with rising autism prevalence, you’d also see rising autism costs to society, and it turns out, the costs are catastrophic.
They calculated that in 2015 autism cost the United States $268 billion and they projected that if autism continues at its current rate, we’re looking at one trillion dollars a year in autism costs by 2025, so within five years.
Toby Rogers, PhD, Political economist
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