Llandudno’s Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Resource Class will be at full capacity, and has been unable to accommodate some students in September 2017. Further to the Welsh Government’s statement that they do not collect data on the number of ASD resources classes in Wales, Janet Finch-Saunders AM has slammed both the Council and Welsh Government for not doing enough to ensure that pupils with ASD have access to specialist classes, where needed.
The Assembly Member for Aberconwy said:
“I am absolutely outraged that Conwy Council have a shortage of spaces in this class, and that the Welsh Government is content to sit back and ignore the problem.
“There are many areas of good ASD practice in Conwy, however, lack of capacity here is serious as some of my constituents are being told that their child cannot be placed when they need to be.
“I therefore call on Conwy Council and the Welsh Government to cooperate to make sure that every child requiring this support can be accommodated.
“At the end of the day, we must all agree on the fact that every child should be in a class that is best suited to recognise and foster their talent”.
ENDS
Notes
ASD affects around 1 in 100 children in Wales, meaning that there is probably a pupil with ASD in every school whether diagnosed or not.