Parents in Lambeth say autistic children are being hawked around the borough’s schools because of lack of adequate resources. They told Lambeth Education Committee that only half of the borough’s 50 autistic children were getting specialist help. The rest were in ordinary schools or special schools without specialist staff, or being taught in other Boroughs. The Larkhall Unit at Larkhall School in Clapham took 12 primary age children, but parents had no idea where they would send their children once they reached secondary school age.
The Mercury, December 5, 1996.

Parents, teachers and governors say they are angry at plans to close Welburn Hall, near Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, a residential special school for youngsters aged eight to 18. According to the vice chairman of the governors, Leslie Matthews, there is no justification on educational or financial grounds to close the school. But Alan Milburn, the County Council’s head of pupil and parents’ services said: ‘There has been a steady decline in the number of pupils at Welburn Hall and we don’t feel it is viable any more in its present form. There will be public meetings and parents will be given their say.’
Darlington Northern Echo, December 9, 1996.

Norfolk County Council has defended its decision to spend GBP90,000 a year supporting a ‘problem’ child. The 15-year-old boy, who can not be named for legal reasons, is looked after by a team of residential care workers in a rented cottage in a Norfolk village. He has been taken out of mainstream school and the council is making a last-ditch effort to rehabilitate him before he reaches adulthood. A Social Services Department spokeswoman said: ‘This is an extreme case and a very difficult problem but it is a problem we have to deal with. The only other alternative is secure accommodation. We have no suitable secure accommo-dation in Norfolk so he would have to be sent out of the county. That would cost about GBP150,000 and we don’t think it would do him as much good. The care he is receiving is working. He is improving and we are hopeful of getting him ready to go back to mainstream school’.
Eastern Daily Press, December 9, 1996.