The conventional wisdom - an oxymoron waiting to happen ?

The conventional wisdom has it that autistic children who have developed speech should for the most part be educated in mainstream classrooms. Inclusion per se is indeed a laudable objective. It is what all of us want for our children. But 'inclusion' when narrowly interpreted as mere mainstream placement, will not lead to the best outcomes.

For some autistic children - intolerable pressures experienced in a mainstream school makes future integration in the wider community less not more likely.

At the start of their school careers our children's neurological immaturity means they find it difficult to deal with an environment where the sensory input is overwhelming for them. Difficulty with processing and prioritising all the information coming at them means the world can be a confusing and stressful place in which they often rely on fixed routines and rigid attachments to things to feel safe and happy.

These eccentric survival strategies are however ill-suited to a classroom with 29 others.       Our children have huge issues to overcome before they can actually sit still and learn in a group setting. They need one-to-one tuition in a low stimuli environment covering a personalised curriculum.

If that degree of flexibility can be resourced then mainstream primary school can be the best option. If it cannot be resourced or there is antipathy to the time and energy involved, then mainstream primary school can be the least-best option.

Secondary school is an even bigger challenge for most children with AS...