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Asperger's syndrome is a recently recognised developmental disorder within the autistic spectrum. It occurs predominantly in people of average or above-average intelligence who have good verbal skills which often mask their restrictions, making detection and diagnosis difficult.

While the type and level of restriction varies between individuals, there are constant characteristics which hold true for everybody with the condition. Anxiety, difficulty with social relationships and communication, narrow interests or obsessions and routines, allied with a reluctance to accept change, are all a feature of Asperger's.

Young people with Asperger's perceive the world very differently from their contemporaries. They are often misunderstood, despite a genuine desire to make social contact. They also have limited concentration and perform better with a visual learning style.

The biggest problem that children with Asperger's face is exclusion from state-run schools. However, many of these lack the understanding, culture and facilities to enable them to help these children.

Demand for special educational provision increased during the 1980s and 1990s as more children went through the statementing procedure.

During the 1990s, the main policy for government and local education authorities was to develop special units in mainstream schools which provided day school facilities for children with special needs. While this was highly successful for many children with learning difficulties, it meant that several special day schools and residential schools had to be closed down, resulting in fewer adequate facilities for children with challenging behaviour. At the same time, because children with challenging behaviour tended to remain at home and go to mainstream schools, the incidence of breakdowns at home increased, resulting in a rise in the number of children looked after by social services departments.

Today, the main reason special needs children are excluded from schools is lack of appropriate funding. Because the allocation of school funding is now based on a wide range of indicators, such as how many children are excluded due to bad behaviour, some teachers are transferring these children into special provision so that their school's performance appears to improve.

League tables based on examination results are another way to increase funding. However, because many Asperger's children don't perform well in exams, they can bring down the overall performance of their schools - another reason for exclusion.


I became involved with Asperger's in 1994 when I became head teacher at Ravenscroft College, now known as Farleigh College. I was informed that several children had dyslexia, but further investigation revealed that they also had Asperger's syndrome. This highlighted the fact that the disorder can be hard to diagnose, and reinforced the relatively recent increase in awareness of this condition.

I run three residential specialist schools for children with Asperger's which integrate education, therapy and health care as part of the daily routine. Farleigh schools are 100 per cent publicly funded and we receive referrals from all over the UK.

By focusing on the unique needs of children with Asperger's it is possible to create a framework that makes each child feel more secure. People with the syndrome have a desperate need for routines which give them time boundaries and help them to control their environment. One way of achieving this is to ensure that each child has a set daily routine underpinned by small classes which only last for half an hour, and key staff who "live with" the children on a daily basis.

Ultimately, the aim is to ensure that these children receive the rounded education that provides them with the educational, social and mental health skills to live independent lives. Unfortunately, there aren't enough schools able to provide this education. There is an urgent requirement for a wider understanding of the educational provision required for children with Asperger's, provision which fulfils their unique needs.

- For more details visit www.prioryhealthcare.com or call 01373 475177.

Stephen Bradshaw is executive director of Priory Young People's Services.