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A Chance for Change: The Opportunity for Transformation

Rightly, much is being made of the need to transition back to a semblance of the society we had pre-Covid-19.

Our work on the “Not Included, Not Engaged, Not involved” campaign showed that, for many autistic learners, things were far from ideal. With that in mind, we should consider the opportunities for transformation that this horrific, global event has given us.

Pavlopoulou, Wood, Papdopoulous (2020) found that during Covid–19, 70% of family carers reported a change to their daily routine. This is not surprising, more importantly many of these families did not want a return to the pre-Covid world. In the context of our work, that is entirely understandable; we highlighted unlawful exclusion and shone a light on the very human cost of this practice which included high levels of stress and anxiety among children and families, economic disadvantage for families who had to remain home to support their child as well as pervasive feelings of exclusion and isolation. In the midst of campaigning for change, the Covid-19 meteor struck, sending the entire nation home.

With no prospect of the resumption of business as usual any time soon, we have to look for opportunity, we have to use creativity and we have to find solutions that work in a different and potentially alienating context.

This, of course, applies not only to education but to health, social care and the daily comings and goings of society. It is not going to be enough to tinker at the edges, transformation and systemic change are required. Having called for sustainable systemic change for many years, I would not have wished for that to come about as the result of a global pandemic with the chaos and heartbreak it has brought, yet here we are.

There is a risk that the needs of autistic people, disabled people and others with specific needs sink to the bottom of, what is undoubtedly, a very long “to do” list. If the mantra of our education system of “Getting it right for every child” is to retain credibility, now is the time to work with autistic people, their families and allies to ensure that we do.

Furthermore, the siloed thinking, budgets and policy that have been such frustrating features of our system need to come tumbling down. There is a phenomenal and ongoing effort to enable the return of Scotland’s children to school. Resources and support materials have been created, webinars, seminars and working groups have produced outstanding work but that will only take us so far. People need people and that needs adequate and sustained financial resourcing. It requires culture change and the recognition that there is a clear and present threat to the mental health and wellbeing of our children. The situation demands that we think beyond transition to transformation and make our schools and other services a place where autistic children and adults can feel included, engaged, involved and safe.

Reference: Pavlopoulou G, Wood R and Papadopoulos C, (2020) Impact of Covid-19 on the experiences of parents and family carers of autistic children and young people in the UK. UCL Research Briefing ID: 4992C01D-4415-480D-8088-341CF13EE1EB

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