The school standards watchdog, Ofsted, has withdrawn controversial guidance for inspectors that linked autism and extremism after an outcry from celebrity campaigners, it has been reported.
An updated training document “no longer includes reference to children with autism” after claims that it was “offensive” and “clumsy” discrimination.
It follows interventions from the naturalist and TV presenter, Chris Packham (pictured), and comedians Paul Whitehouse and Johnny Vegas. and comes concerns over the number of autistic children who have been referred to Prevent, the government’s deradicalisation programme.
Last year it emerged that a document used to train school inspectors said that children with autism are “at increased risk of being susceptible to extremism” and “can be drawn into extremism”.
The document, Inspection Safeguarding Session – Prevent Extract 2024, first identified by the human rights group Rights & Security International, 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,” it said.
The National Autistic Society said last year that the document risked stigmatising autistic traits, while the human rights organisation said the manual’s teachings “draw a target on autistic children”.
Packham, who has Asperger syndrome, called for the advice to be stopped “before even more young people are discriminated against in school and in society”.
Ofsted defended the document in June 2025, saying that its training offers an understanding of different circumstances in which children might be more susceptible to extremism.
