Welsh Conservative Regional AM Dr Altaf Hussain has urged education Chiefs at Bridgend County Borough Council to make provision for appropriate specialist classes within Porthcawl’s schools for the needs of children diagnosed with Autism.
Currently, children with this diagnosis have to go to schools elsewhere in the County due to an absence of specialist classes at the Primary and Secondary schools located within the Town.
His call comes after figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Request by Welsh Conservative Assembly Candidate George Jabbour revealed that for the amount spent on taking children who live within the boundaries of Bridgend County Borough to schools within the same County Borough area in special-needs specific taxis was £970,853 for the 2014-2015 financial year.
Jabbour said: “I asked the Council for this information because while phone canvassing, many local people highlighted to me that if Porthcawl had a school or more places for children with special needs, the cost of transport in taxis would be lower and it would be better for the children themselves so they don't have to go on a long journey to school every day – so I am pleased Dr Hussain has made this call”.
Dr Altaf Hussain, Regional AM for South Wales West, commented “There is a clear educational and financial case for making the right provision locally at schools in Porthcawl for children with Autism, especially when you look at these figures. It would be helpful for the Council’s education department take a long-term view – making the investment in this provision now would have a positive impact on the community well into the future. Parents of autistic children have highlighted to me the disruptive effect that being educated in unfamiliar surroundings away from their local peers could have on their child’s development. Whilst the schools they are sent to at present may only be a few miles away, the journey on a minibus can last several hours while all of the children are being dropped off, and I am sure that this time could be spent in a way that these much more stimulating for these children.”
Their calls have received the backing of the Chair of the National Autistic Society in Bridgend, Jill Grange, who said: “I would support local special and specialised classes for Autistic and SEN children. It is important to receive education and build relationships in a local context. Our children take longer and find it harder to build relationships and need specialist support to do so. In my opinion it is possible to make reasonable adjustments in local facilities which would reduce travel time, costs and the stress involved in transport, ensuring the special needs child arrives at school ready to learn”.
Official policy guidance from BCBC states that schooling provision for children with autism should as close to where they live as possible and notes that where possible, they should be able to walk to school with journey times in taxis and minibuses kept to an absolute minimum.
Article first written for Glamorgan Gazette and Glamorgan GEM