AUTISM Support Centres are set to open in two Tendring schools by the New Year.

The move follows a County Council plan for centres at schools across Essex, giving parents countywide access to such support.

Some 15 places will be available at Tendring Technology College for high school aged pupils and eight places at Hamford Primary for younger children.

Essex has 2035 children with Autistic Spectrum Conditions, with 1,378 educated in mainstream schools, 498 in special schools and 159 in independent schools or schools in other authorities.

Essex County Council opened the first two such centres in Harlow last September and believes the support centres will give more autistic children access to mainstream education.

Building work on the centres is to start immediately, though completion is not expected until late in the year.

Principal of Hamford Primary, Ryan Kendall, said the centre at his school would have a specialist teacher. His school had three children with autism and the remaining places would be filled by children who attend nearby schools.

“There is definitely a need for this in the area. The children will be taught mainly with classes and withdrawn for specialist areas or when they need work on social or emotional skills,” he said.

Tendring Technology College will have one support centre at its Thorpe campus and another at Frinton.

Executive Principal Dr Caroline Haynes said she looked forward to providing the “much needed resource.”

“The support centre will be for students who fulfil strict criteria that includes the ability to achieve successfully in an academic curriculum. Admission will be through the local authority as this is a fully funded provision,” she said.

Earlier this year, Essex County Council consulted parents about the need for such centres.

“We are currently working on a number of programmes to improve the education of autistic pupils in Essex, including the creation of eight new autism support centres and four special school autism support hubs across the county. Said Cabinet member for Education, Coun Ray Gooding “The support centres at Tendring Technology College and Hamford Primary Academy will likely open early in 2017, providing specialist support for 15 and eight pupils respectively.

“In addition, the new special school support hubs offer support to those young people with autism who find the social challenges of mainstream school difficult, as well as providing family support and training to Essex mainstream schools,” he said.