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Autism

Answer

Since it was launched in 2002, almost 30,500 copies of the Department for Education and Skills and Department of Health's Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs): Good Practice Guidance have been distributed on request and free of charge. It is not possible to say how many of these sent to private addresses were ordered on behalf of schools and local authorities, however at least 8,500 have gone to schools and at least 3,700 have gone to local authorities. The guidance has also been available on the Department's website since 2002. Three conferences were held in 2003 in London, Nottingham and Leeds to promote the guidance.Through the work of the Department-funded Special Educational Needs Regional Partnerships the Guidance is being used to audit and develop provision. For example, the West Midlands has developed an early interventions framework for children with ASDs based on the Guidance, the North West is using the guidance to undertake peer supported self-reviews of support services across the region and the South West produced Aiming High””, a video to illustrate the implementation of the guidance in schools. Individual authorities, such as Bolton and Worcestershire, have also worked with the guidance to develop provision in their areas.The Department will, with the Autism Working Group which developed the Good Practice Guidance, look at how use of the Good Practice Guidance and its effectiveness can be evaluated and what can be done to build on it to encourage more good practice throughout the country.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

58268; 443 c2341W;443 c2341W

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Autism Publications Autistic Spectrum Disorders Good Practice Guidance

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk