Thank you to all the parent carers who took swift action over the bank holiday weekend regarding information about the inclusion of ABA interventions being shown on the Plymouth GATI website. Our thanks also go to Plymouth City Council who responded quickly to our concerns.
Lisa McDonald, Head of SEND told PPCV, “I am very sorry for the worry this has caused and I really do apologise that this was not noticed previously.”
For those who are not aware of why this may have caused distress to many in the autistic community and their families, here is a link to information about ABA on the National Autistic Society website: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/positive-behaviour-support-pbs
Is ABA being offered in Plymouth?
We asked Lisa if ABA was part of a SEND strategy in Plymouth. She responded, “I can confidently say that none of the health providers in our partnership practice ABA and none of our schools do either.”
A few parents mentioned that they are concerned that ABA is being used but referred to by another name. If you think this is the case, please check in with your young person’s setting to clarify exactly what intervention or support they are receiving. If this doesn’t put your mind at rest, please get in touch.
Why was ABA listed on the Plymouth GATI website?
The honest answer is: we do not know. It doesn’t appear to have led back to a particular professional service within Plymouth. The web designers are looking back at the content development and further checks will be carried out to ensure the website has accurate and correct information for Plymouth.
Is the GATI website going to slow down access to support for my child or young person?
Lisa told us that GATI is not a delaying tactic – it is a partnership tool that every LA should have. It enables children and young people, parent carers and all professionals supporting them to access the same information from one single place. You won’t be “forced into” GATI before applying for an EHCP if your child or young person needs one – it is there for everyone to use at any time and can be useful while you are waiting for support from a service provider. This message will be repeated at the SEND Parent Carer Forum session that Lisa is attending on 9th May 2025. (You can register to attend the face to face event at Moments Cafe, PL1 1RJ here: https://www.plymouthpcv.co.uk/events/)
Please take some time to have a look around the GATI website. There is a huge selection of resources, but if you think anything is inaccurate or missing, please let the GATI team know by using the Contact Form on the website: https://plymouthgati.co.uk/
In the meantime, please visit the latest PPCV survey so we can hear about your experiences of SEND services over the last 6 months: https://www.plymouthpcv.co.uk/annual-send-survey-2025/ The end date has been extended to Friday 2nd May 2025.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.