"Rising demand, combined with a workforce shortage, has created a combination of pressures that have left gaps in provision and many local authorities struggling to keep up."
"Educational psychologists were vital to the government's plans to reform special educational needs and disabilities (Send) provision, and the estimated £140m cost could come from the government's new £1.8bn experts at hand grants."
"The increased demand was being driven by factors such as inflexible school behaviour policies failing to accommodate children with special needs, and families opting for home schooling."
"Educational psychologists told researchers their caseloads were affected by rising rates of school avoidance and autism diagnosis, as well as greater parental involvement through paying for private assessments."
Councils in England require an additional 1,400 educational psychologists to address the growing demand for support among children with special needs, particularly autism. The Education Policy Institute's research indicates significant regional disparities and a chronic shortage of qualified professionals. A 40% workforce increase is necessary to balance services across areas. Rising demand stems from inflexible school policies and increased parental involvement. The estimated £140 million cost could be funded through the government's new £1.8 billion grants for local authorities.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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