Mum says autistic son is being 'failed' by council

Cheryl said her son Daniel needed a place at a specialist school

A mother says her autistic son is being "failed" because he has not been found a specialist school to meet his needs.

Cheryl, from Stoke-on-Trent, said her six-year-old son Daniel was non-verbal, struggled to regulate his emotions and often could not cope with loud noises, adding that, until recently, he could only attend his mainstream school for one hour per day.

She said he needed one-to-one support but she was facing an "emotional rollercoaster" trying to secure a place at a specialist school, due to being denied funding.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council said it was committed to working with parents but claimed children achieved better outcomes in mainstream schools.

"Life has been very chaotic for us because he requires a lot of attention and needs a lot of caring for, but he's a very lovely boy," Cheryl said.

Since starting at Kingsland Academy in Bucknall in late 2022, Daniel was only able to attend for one hour a day, Cheryl added, as the school "could not meet his needs".

"It does not have the specialist staff or resources he needs and it's failing him, basically," she said.

Cheryl said her son Daniel struggles at mainstream school

Cheryl said Daniel now attends for five to six hours per day after the school opened a dedicated unit for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in September.

While things were "getting better", Cheryl said he still struggled with being around so many pupils and with the lack of one-to-one support.

"Most days he doesn't want to go in," she added. "It's a battle to just get him dressed because he's well aware of the noise before he goes out."

The mother-of-three said she was still determined to find a place at a specialist school for Daniel.

She previously found one in Rugeley, Staffordshire, but said she was denied funding when she contacted the council's special educational needs monitoring and assessment service.

"It's been an emotional rollercoaster," she added. "It's extremely stressful and my anxiety has hit the roof."

Cheryl, pictured with son Daniel and daughter Miya, said the experience had been an "emotional rollercoaster"

A Stoke-on-Trent City Council spokesperson said the authority was committed to working with mainstream schools to "give children the best chance of success in their local community, alongside their peers".

They added: "Evidence shows that, when properly supported, children tend to achieve better outcomes in mainstream settings than they would in specialist provision.

"We fully consider parental preference and consult with a number of schools in and around the city to find the most suitable setting to meet each child's needs."