Ofsted is being urged to drop ‘absurd and dangerous’ guidance which suggests autistic children should be closely monitored in case they become terrorists.
In training notes for inspectors, the education standards body states: ‘Children and young people with autism are at increased risk of being susceptible to extremism.
‘This is because they are more likely to develop special interests. Due to this and any social communication needs, children with autism are more likely to experience social isolation and so use the internet as a way to find friends.
‘They trust the information they read and the “friends” that they find online and so can be drawn into extremism.’
Teachers who are concerned about a pupil have a duty to refer the child to the anti-radicalisation Prevent programme as quickly as possible.
But comedian Paul Whitehouse, who co-hosts a podcast called I’m ADHD! No You’re Not with his wife, condemned the guidance and urged Education Secretary and Labour deputy leadership hopeful Bridget Phillipson to intervene.
He said: ‘People are incredulous and astonished when they see the extraordinary and false claims made about autistic children and young adults. It would take very little to simply amend this offensive wording.’
His wife, the education campaigner Mine Conkbayir, also described the guidance as ‘absurd as it is unfounded’, adding: ‘What Ofsted is doing is irrefutably discriminatory and they must be exposed. We urge Ofsted to amend this content before it is too late.’
Education Secretary hopeful Bridget Phillipson has been urged to intervene after Ofsted released guidance which suggests autistic children should be closely monitored in case they become terrorists
Comedian Paul Whitehouse, who co-hosts a podcast called I’m ADHD! No You’re Not with his wife, condemned the guidance
More than 1.4 million children have been diagnosed with autism.
Last night former Tory MP Sir Jake Berry, who defected to Reform earlier this year, said: ‘As a father of an autistic son, I know first-hand the challenges autistic young people already face just to live a life that many take for granted.
‘To suggest they are more likely to be extremists is not only absurd, it is deeply offensive and discriminatory.’
An Ofsted spokesman said: ‘This is not about ‘labelling’ or ‘targeting’ children for any reason, it’s so we can be better equipped to protect them from harm.
‘Keeping children safe from the threat posed by extremists is always our top priority.’
