Parents of special needs children are being forced to quit work because of inadequate support from mainstream schools.
The charity Ambitious about Autism says parents have had to give up work, use food banks and claim benefits when their child has missed school.
Jolanta Lasota says lost learning is a “hidden crisis”
The organisation conducted a survey of 1,300 autistic young people and parents to look at the impact of lost learning in mainstream schools.
Impact of lost learning
Ambitious about Autism defines lost learning as any situation where a child misses school due to suspension, exclusion or being on a part-time timetable.
Up to 71 per cent of young people – nearly three in four – told the charity’s survey they had experienced some form of lost learning.
Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent said it had damaged their academic achievements and mental health.
Huge impact on parents
The situation impacted an even greater proportion of parents. The survey found that up to 90 per cent of them – nine in ten – said lost learning had negatively affected their professional or personal lives.
And up to 10 per cent said they had even lost a job because of their child’s problems at school.
Jolanta Lasota is the chief executive of Ambitious about Autism, which runs special schools, colleges and employment programmes.
She said parents have seen marriages fail or have completely given up their careers.
‘Hidden crisis’
Lost learning was a “hidden crisis”, she said, and autistic pupils must be “meaningfully included in mainstream education”.
Leo Cleary is the head of the fledgling trade union the National Unpaid Carers Union and Forum.
He said up to 600 people a day are forced to give up work to become carers. Until their financial needs are addressed, he said growing numbers will end up “on the breadline”.
A spokesperson for the Department for Education said it was investing an additional £1bn in day-to-day services, with £740 million to encourage local authorities to create more specialist places in mainstream schools.
Related:
- Family defeats £2,000 benefits cut
- Government ‘not protecting disabled’
- Cost of living worsens carers’ plight
- Survey reveals plight of unpaid carers
- Mum battles to raise carers’ benefit
- Charity claims carers don’t want wage
- Plea to give carers the breaks they need
- Carers’ plight on World Autism Day
- Carers sick with money worries
Published: 17 March 2025
