More than one in 100 school-age children in England is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, according to official health data. Ofsted's now-withdrawn training document for inspectors suggested those pupils faced increased susceptibility to extremism because of special interests, social isolation and a tendency to trust information found online.
The material, titled Inspection Safeguarding Session – Prevent Extract 2024, formed part of inspector preparation on the Prevent duty. It trained hundreds of staff before campaigners highlighted its content. The National Autistic Society warned that the document risked stigmatising autistic traits. Rights and Security International, which first identified the material, said its language drew a target on autistic children.
Parents, professionals and public figures including Dr Mine Conkbayir MBE, Chris Packham, Paul Whitehouse and Johnny Vegas pressed for its removal. Their concerns centred on the absence of clear evidence linking autism itself to terrorism risk. Such guidance, critics argued, diverted attention from practical classroom support and placed another layer of labelling on children already navigating complex needs.
Autistic children are not threats. They are children.
Dr Mine Conkbayir MBE wrote in a public social media post. Her statement captured the core objection: policy should rest on evidence, not presumptions about neurodiversity.
Josh MacAlister, junior education minister, confirmed the change in a written response to a parliamentary question from a Liberal Democrat MP.
Ofsted are now delivering the renewed education inspection framework, with new training for inspectors, including updates on the Prevent duty, which no longer includes reference to children with autism.
An Ofsted spokesperson defended the original wording.
