Ofsted has dropped guidance for inspectors that linked autism and extremism after an outcry from celebrity campaigners, including naturalist Chris Packham and comedians Paul Whitehouse and Johnny Vegas. An education minister disclosed that an updated training document “no longer includes reference to children with autism” following claims that the original guidance was “offensive” and “clumsy” discrimination.
Details of the dropped guidance
The Guardian revealed a year ago that a document used to train hundreds of inspectors stated that children with autism are “at increased risk of being susceptible to extremism” and “can be drawn into extremism”. The document, titled Inspection Safeguarding Session – Prevent Extract 2024, was first identified by the human rights group Rights & Security International. It said: “Children and young people with autism are at increased risk of being susceptible to extremism. This is because they are more likely to develop special interests. Due to this and any social communication needs, children with autism are more likely to experience social isolation and so use the internet as a way to find friends. They trust the information they read and the ‘friends’ that they find online and so can be drawn into extremism.”
Reaction from campaigners and organisations
The National Autistic Society said the document risked stigmatising autistic traits, while Rights & Security International stated that the manual’s teachings “draw a target on autistic children”. Packham, who has Asperger syndrome, a form of autism, called for the advice to be stopped “before even more young people are discriminated against in school and in society”. The controversy deepened amid concerns over the number of autistic children referred to Prevent, the government’s deradicalisation programme.
Government and Ofsted responses
In June 2025, Ofsted defended the document, saying its training offers an understanding of different circumstances in which children might be more susceptible to extremism. However, in a recent response to a parliamentary question from a Liberal Democrat MP, junior education minister Josh MacAlister wrote: “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 said: “Ofsted does not – and has never – labelled children with autism as ‘likely extremists’. It is preposterous to suggest otherwise. An old piece of training for inspectors highlighted that some vulnerable children could be more susceptible to manipulation. We have recently renewed our school inspection framework. This new framework required new training for inspectors, including updated training on the Prevent duty.”
