27/05/2026
No child should have to live in a constant state of fight, flight or freeze simply to access education.
Yet many children and young people are currently being expected to tolerate educational environments that overwhelm their sensory systems, exceed their functional capacities and leave them chronically dysregulated.
Occupational therapists understand better than most that participation is not achieved through physical presence alone.
A child sitting in a classroom in survival mode is not meaningfully accessing education.
For some children, prolonged sensory overwhelm, masking, anxiety and nervous system dysregulation eventually lead to shutdown, burnout, trauma and complete disengagement from learning.
And for a small but highly vulnerable group of children and young people, no school or college placement is appropriate or sustainable at all.
Education Otherwise Than in School/College (EOTISC/EOTAS) can provide a vital pathway for these children to access education safely, flexibly and in ways that genuinely meet their needs.
However, proposed SEND reforms risk weakening the legal protections that currently help families secure this provision.
Without these safeguards, some of our most vulnerable children risk being pushed further into crisis or left without meaningful access to education altogether.
Inclusion is not one-size-fits-all.
Please take a moment to sign and share this petition to help protect children and young people who cannot safely access school ❤️
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/767779
I'd be really grateful of any support you're able to give in raising awareness of this
In any SEND reforms, maintain the legal right to education other than in school for children & young people whose needs mean no school or college placement is appropriate. Retain the SEND Tribunal’s power to order EOTISC and specify the provision required for a child’s individually assessed need...