Statistics illustrating the prevalence of autism and how education needs are being served
'There are 700,000* autistic people in the UK – that’s more than 1 in 100. If you include their families, autism is a part of daily life for 2.8 million people. (2023)' -https://www.beyondautism.org.uk/about-autism/understanding-autism/statistics/
*recent research based on under-diagnosis has estimated there could be more than 1.2 million autistic people in England alone.
How common is autism as a SEND in England?
The most common type of need for those with an EHCP is autistic spectrum disorder.
Autistic adults in employment
Just 30% of autistic adults in the UK are in any form of paid employment. (2024)
https://ifs.org.uk/publications/spending-special-educational-needs-england-something-has-change
Percentage of children with ASD with EHCPs
In particular, pupils with ASD now make up one-third (33%) of pupils with EHCPs, up from just 16% of pupils with statements of SEN in 2010.
This trend mirrors rates of ASD among the total pupil population, with overall rates increasing from 0.7% in 2010 to 1.2% in 2016 and 2.6% in 2024.
Numbers of males and females with ASD
The number of pupils with ASD has doubled for males between 2016 and 2024, but has almost quadrupled for females. This perhaps reflects better recognition of ASD symptoms among women and girls. Read more here
Open/Closed Referrals
There were 7,603 new referrals and 6,770 closed referrals in December 2024. This is a decrease of 29.7% for new referrals and a decrease of 17.1% for closed referrals compared to December 2023.
