Autism Education Trust granted £35,000 to extend work programme in first year

The Autism Education Trust (AET), which was launched in November 2007, has been granted an additional £35,000 by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to extend its work programme in the first year.

The extra money is in addition to the initial start-up funds of £125,000 granted by the DCSF in July last year as part of its commitment to improving education for children with special educational needs.

Schools Minister Andrew Adonis said;

"Improving the life chances of children with special educational needs and disabilities is an absolute priority for this Government.
 
"Having a disability like autism should not be a barrier to education, safety and achievement. The voluntary and community sector play a crucial role in supporting children with autism and their families, and that is why we are giving the Autism Education Trust a further £35,000 on top of the £125,000 we have already provided."

Ian Wylie, Chair of the AET Steering Group, is delighted with the additional support and excited about the prospect of reaching more people through AET projects. He said;

"This extra funding will enable us to engage specifically with groups of people who are, by definition, more complicated to reach, such as those from BME communities and non-verbal children on the spectrum. It is essential that autism awareness and support is improved across the range of ages, diagnoses and locations throughout England. The Autism Education Trust relies on the support of the raft of existing organisations dedicated to supporting children and young people with autism."

The AET is an organisation dedicated to improving the educational experience of the estimated 106,000  children with autism in the UK. It aims to provide voluntary, independent and statutory education service providers with information, training and support. It will create a platform to involve young people with autism and their families and carers in planning and developing autism education provision. In addition it will map existing provision across all local authorities in England and identify gaps in knowledge and support.

The additional funding will be spent in four key areas:

1. Development of an independent website for the AET. At present its online presence is hosted by The National Autistic Society, one of its founding organisations, but a stand-alone website is essential to secure the independence of the AET and to develop more interactive tools such as online discussion forums and communities.

 

2. Additional research to evaluate autism information given on local authority websites in England. This would examine content, consider the ease of finding information and analyse similarities and differences.

 

3. Specific work to ensure children and young people from BME communities are informed about and involved in the work of the AET.

 

4. Specific work to involve non-verbal children and young people in the work of the AET through art / drama / music therapy sessions at regional events to promote the work of the AET and engage parents, siblings and young people with autism.

 

For more information about the Autism Education Trust or to become involved in its work, email our Project Manager or call 07795 667749.

For further information and to arrange interviews please contact:

Jennie Spears:  07944 552634  
Romany Simon: 07793 403107