Autism updates, SEN stories and happy holidays!

My top story this week is just out - a 90,000 drop in the number of children identified as having SEN. Do I think that SEN is on the decline? Of course not. The report in the TES says, "Brian Lamb, who led a review of parental confidence in the SEN system for the last Labour government, also identified training and funding as key reasons for the drop. But he said that the most important question to ask was whether children's needs were being met.

"It's positive to see a fall as long as we can be sure this is because of better assessment and the removal of perverse incentives," said Mr Lamb, who is now chair of the SEN charity Achievement for All. "I hope the fall is not because schools are not addressing special educational needs."

This is a point that I agree completely with and was my very first thought. Read the rest of the article for yourself and draw your own conclusions.

Also in this week's top stories include using pets to help kids with autism (something we all already knew as well) and Barnardo's report about tackling the causes of bad behaviour and not just the symptoms - this is an issue I have written about myself before.

So, I'm away for a couple of weeks so no round-ups until I get back, but I've scheduled in some great posts while I'm away to keep you company and I'll be armed in Italy with wifi and an iPad...Happy holidays!

Tania Tirraoro
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