New SEND training 'is great news' for students

A woman with autism who said her time in school was "challenging" has welcomed extra funding for teacher training.

Allie Mason, 29, said: "Life was difficult for me in school, I really struggled. I don't think my teachers had the awareness to be able to recognise what was going on."

The government recently announced a £200m investment in a SEND training programme. The Department of Education said this is part of their aim to build a more inclusive school environment

Mason, from Cheltenham, said the investment was "great news" and could "lead to a huge shift" in the experiences of neurodivergent students.

Mason was diagnosed with autism when she was 23. She said school was a "very challenging time" for her and that she "didn't have the language" to describe her experiences.

She said she struggled with the sensory aspects of being at school, becoming overwhelmed in large classrooms.

Because of the anxiety it caused her, she missed a lot of school time, and although she was supported by her teachers this wasn't tailored to her specific problems, she added.

"Just knowing there is somebody there who understands what it's like inside your brain is an incredible gift," Mason added.

Logan Gibbins, from Bishops Cleeve in Gloucestershire, has ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder). He described his school life as "very rough."

He said it is important for teachers to receive SEND training, explaining that during his time at school, the teachers who had completed neurodiversity training stood out to him.

"They were my favourite teachers because they understood me," Gibbins, 18, said.

Gibbins has founded the Gloucestershire Neurodivergent Youth Council, which works with children in local schools to identify areas where support can be improved. The council also hopes to deliver assemblies in schools in the future.

He said he raises awareness now because he does not want others to feel the way he did at school.

"Neurodiversity is not something you should be ashamed of, it's a superpower. Don't hide that from the world," he said.

The government announced in January it would invest the £200 million as part of a new requirement that every teacher receives SEND training.

Teachers will learn about how to use assistive technology like speech-to-text dictation tools, and be given more awareness of the additional needs of some pupils.

The training will be part of a new expectation set out in the SEND Code of Practice, confirming that all staff in every nursery, school and college should receive training on SEND and inclusion.

Research from Gloucestershire based charity Let's Talk Well suggests the number of children in Gloucestershire with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) entering the state education system has grown by more than 40% in the last three years.

Judith Bell, the charity's chief clinical officer, said she hopes the new investment will help neurodivergent pupils.

"I think schools are doing a really good job but each young person is unique - there's still a need to increase the knowledge for those working with people who are neurodivergent," Bell explained.

The charity will be holding a conference in March at Cheltenham Racecourse to help professionals understand how to better support neurodivergent young people.

A spokesperson for the Department for Education said it is working to make sure "children are supported at the earliest stage and can thrive in a school that meets their needs".

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