AMY SAYER FCCT, AUTHOR; MENTAL HEALTH AND NEURODIVERSITY CONSULTANT; KEYNOTE SPEAKER
The rates of school-related anxiety are increasing, with approximately 31 per cent of autistic children being persistently absent from school, which is classified as anything more than 10 per cent of time away from school (Bloomer, 2025). According to research from Ambitious about Autism (2026), 13,000 children are missing 50 per cent or more of the school year. Many autistic young people have had such traumatic situations during their mainstream primary education that by the time they transition to bigger secondary schools, it can feel overwhelming and a cycle of school-based anxiety can begin. The longer young people are away from school, the greater their anxiety about returning becomes, and without bespoke support and interventions, it can be impossible to return at all. This leaves many autistic young people being pressurised to resort to home education. This is not right, and many families are s
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