Charity plans to open county's first autism centre

A charity chairman who said the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system was "broken" has outlined ambitions to open a county's first autism centre.

Colin Lang, from Thrive Autism, set up the charity in 2024 and said he wanted to create a specialist autism centre in Norfolk to support families and where young people could feel safe and not judged.

While the plans for the £7m centre were still being drawn up, the charity said it was fundraising and has been donated a piece of land in Poringland, near Norwich, for the project.

Lang said: "I was planning to retire... I can't change the system but at least I can offer and assist the families with some relief and support."

Thrive Autism was founded to support neurodivergent children, young people and their families across Norfolk and Waveney to bring a sense of belonging for those facing long waits for support, limited services and daily challenges.

When speaking to Chris Goreham on the BBC Radio Norfolk, Lang said: "I have two grandchildren who are diagnosed autistic, it's highlighted to me watching my family struggle with that situation and the current situation of needs and provision."

More than one in 100 people are autistic and there are at least 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK, according to the National Autistic Society.

Lang said after speaking to families with autistic children he hoped to create a centre that was more recreational than clinical, as he wanted the space to foster a sense of community so parents can learn from each other.

He said: "It's very difficult out there. The system is completely broken."

Lang added that local authorities were spending money on "challenging parents in tribunals" over SEND provision.

Last year, Norfolk County Council spent more than £1.4m in SEND tribunal cases where families challenged its decisions on special school places or support for children, compared to £750,000 in 2022-23.

Lang said he hoped the centre could open in phases and eventually would have an employment zone, which would assist individuals aged over 16 to gain employment.

He said: "We just want to provide a centre that is totally dedicated to autism... we are not going to be able to benefit everybody but we should be able to benefit the majority."

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "We are determined to seize this once in a generation opportunity to reform a broken SEND system and transform life chances for children with additional needs.

"For too long, families have been forced to fight for support while councils have been left carrying unsustainable deficits.

"That is why we are backing reform with action - investing over £5bn to resolve 90% of councils' SEND deficits this year, £3.7bn to create 60,000 new specialist places, and £200m to deliver the most ambitious SEND training programme ever seen in our schools."

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