Mum's 'heartbreak' over disability education difficulties

Thousands of young people with disabilities are being denied the education they're legally entitled to, according to a consortium of disability charities.

Following a change in the law in 2014, young people with special educational needs and disabilities should be able to stay in education until aged 25.

But Stephen Kingdom, of the Disabled Children's Partnership, said the system could be "incredibly damaging" as families struggled to access appropriate education.

Leeds mum Maura Micklethwaite, whose son Shay has severe autism and learning difficulties, says she couldn't find a suitable college for more than a year.

She said: "He regressed in terms of eye contact, communication and became very anxious about everything."

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, from Leeds City Council, said: "Ensuring a good range of educational provision for young people with disabilities and providing families with a range of choices in further education is one of our priorities"

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "We want to give young adults with special educational needs the same opportunities to succeed as their peers, regardless of where they live."