Written question asked by Richard Bacon (Conservative) on Wednesday, 23 March 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 5 April 2005. It was answered by Baroness Hodge of Barking (Labour) on Tuesday, 5 April 2005 on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills.

Dept for Education and Skills

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children with autism there were in schools in Norfolk in each month since January 2002, broken down by (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

Answer: Mr. Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children with autism there were in schools in Norfolk in each month since January 2002, broken down by (a) primary and (b) secondary schools. [224096] Margaret Hodge: Information on pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and their primary need was collected in the Annual Schools' Census for the first time in January 2004 for pupils at School Action Plus and those with a statement of SEN. In Norfolk local education authority maintained primary schools reported having approximately 310 pupils and maintained secondary schools reported 130 pupils whose primary need was autistic spectrum disorder. The purpose of the data collection is to inform policy and planning, to study trends and to monitor the outcomes of initiatives and interventions on pupils with different types of SEN, not to classify individuals, or assigning children by type of need. We are aware that some schools had difficulty in identifying a child's primary need and where appropriate their secondary need. Also professionals from education and health fields may classify some children differently; and the levels of identification of SEN are varied between local authorities.

Secondary information