Council and democracy

Provision for children & young people with autistic spectrum disorders

Autistic Spectrum Disorder provision in Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire is a large and diverse county with a school population of 178,000 children in 553 schools.

The County Council makes a wide range of provision available for children with special educational needs. In recent years it has given priority to the development of specialist provision for children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Why we needed a scrutiny

We recognise that autism is a complex disorder that no-one fully understands, but which can have a profound impact on the long term development of the individual and his or her family.

We are very proud of our specialist services and Hertfordshire has been identified as a leading exponant of good practice in a recent government survey. Despite this, the Council has grown increasingly aware of possible gaps in its continuum of provision and concern by parents about a range of services available to them and their children in this area.

Consequently the Scrutiny Committee appointed a Topic Group in June 2002 to review the present arrangements and make recommendations for future action. Members of the group took part in 17 meetings and visits within Hertfordshire, and 12 with other Local Authorities and independent providers. The Topc Group reported back on 16 October 2002 and 19 March 2003.

To view or download a full version of the Summary, go to the adobe pdf document on this page.