Educate your autistic son at home, council tells mum

12:00pm Thursday 7th February 2013 in News By Diana Henderson

Tracey Hyde with her autistic son Micky Tracey Hyde with her autistic son Micky

Who will educate my son? That’s the question on the lips of a Poole mum whose autistic eight-year-old could be without a school after Friday.

Micky Hyde, can’t cope in a mainstream first school but the local education authority has not been able to offer him a place in a special school, says his mum Tracey Hyde, 38.

“As far as I am concerned it would be like child abuse, sticking him back in a situation he can’t handle,” said Tracey of Kenyon Road, Oakdale.

The bright youngster has been a pupil at Canford Heath First School since pre-school, was diagnosed with autism around the age of three and has a statement of special educational needs from Borough of Poole, with one-to-one help.

“Since September he has just not been able to cope with a mainstream school environment,” said his mum. She said he could get violent and hit out, but no-one knew what triggered his frustration.

The little lad was put on a reduced timetable in October, in isolation, and it was agreed at a statement review that he needed a special school, she said.

Since January he has been on respite at Winchelsea special school but he can’t stay beyond this Friday.

“Since he’s been at Winchelsea he’s been calm and happy and I know that’s the place for him to be – in a special school,” said Tracey.

But Dorset’s special schools are either full or unsuitable because they would not meet the educational needs of Micky, whose level is that of any other eight-year-old.

The education authority has suggested he either goes back to mainstream school or is educated at home, she said, or suggested a school in Lymington, an hour’s drive away.

“He needs socialising and the borough should provide him with a school. It shouldn’t be down to me to educate my son at home because the borough can’t provide anywhere for him,” she added.

Comments(16)

s-pb2 says...
12:33pm Thu 7 Feb 13

This is normally what happens. I have heard of instances of some children being out of schooling for years because no school wants them. I know there will be plenty who blame the council, but if schools refuse to take Micky theres little the council can do. There is little provision for children with needs such as Micky. The council may suggest residential specialist schooling as the only remaining option. The same happens for children who are expelled, no one wants them, therefore they stay at home or out on the street. Schools seem to be far more interested in Ofsted reports.

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speedy231278 says...
2:49pm Thu 7 Feb 13

I see someone removed the comment suggesting the title of this article is misleading because it implies the child is being excluded from school, rather than needing special eduction that cannot be provided by any close to home.

The real headline should be 'council fails to provide adequate special needs school places'.

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raven13 says...
4:16pm Thu 7 Feb 13

this is exactly the same story as with my step son, these kids deserve to be educated just as much as 'normal' children but there just isn't enough special schools to help them. its disgusting

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Azphreal says...
5:22pm Thu 7 Feb 13

The problem is that in the late 80s many of the specialists schools were lumped in together with no thought of the needs of the children and since then many children who could have thrived in a school geared to their problem have been left behind as they were put in a mainstream school who CAN NOT give what is needed. Thankfully my daughter goes to Linwood but she could never go to a mainstream school.

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guisselle says...
5:29pm Thu 7 Feb 13

Lets hope that Mickey gets a place at
a school soon, perhaps the council
could move the family to be near to
a suitable one.

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BIGTONE says...
8:29pm Thu 7 Feb 13

That's posh boy David for you.

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Yankee1 says...
3:20am Fri 8 Feb 13

I thought a Council has a legal mandate to find appropriate education at its own cost.

If home schooling is the best option, then the council should provide the funds and the means to make this possible.

Or buy a portacabin for the special school.

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Hessenford says...
8:03am Fri 8 Feb 13

Perhaps if so much money wasn't pumped into the benefit system which allows parents to get rid of their kids in profit making nursery's and playschools there may be more money for people who actually need help with special needs children.

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Wallisdown says...
12:24pm Fri 8 Feb 13

I guess the question has to be asked why is there the need for so many 'special' learning places in our school now?

What I don't understand is if this is child has the potential to hit out and get violient how is he going to cope in later stages of life where people can be just a cruel as kids at school?

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losthope says...
12:52pm Fri 8 Feb 13

Wallisdown; the reason why this child has the potential to hit out and get violent is because he has a diagnosed medical condition that means the environment he is in is totally inappropriate for him.

Autistic children are often incredibly sensitive to noise and smells and general sensory overload. The violent outbursts are called 'meltdowns' and are due to panic rather than bad behaviour.

An adult can walk out of a situation that's getting too much for them, or not work in an environment that's too loud and busy. A child in school can't even go to the loo without permission so there is no escape.


And as for people in adult life being just as cruel as kids at school, in adult life your employer has a legal duty to ensure that you are not bullied. If you are assaulted you can go to the police. None of those options are available to children at school.

Expecting an autistic child to cope in an environment that everyone admits is wrong for them is like telling a diabetic that if they just try hard enough they could eat all the sugar they like.


As for why we need more 'special education places', look at the size of schools these days. A child who could have coped in a small school that has one class in each year and desks set in rows so each child had their own space and a teacher who spoke while children listened may well not be able to cope with a school where more children are being packed into the same space because of increasing birth rate, where they sit on tables and where the noise level is high the whole time.

No system suits everyone, but autistic children deserve to be treated far better than Poole Council does.

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autismum says...
5:17pm Fri 8 Feb 13

It may be interesting to contact the council and ask how they are implementing the Autism strategy - following on from the Autism Act 2010.


If this is how Poole treats their autistic children, then I dread to think who they treat the autistic adults.

The following link is from the council website...

http://www.poole.gov
.uk/education-and-le
arning/parental-supp
ort/every-disabled-c
hild-matters/

Methinks the council is very out of date with it's 'pledge'.

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elfinia says...
6:22pm Fri 8 Feb 13

Sadly, most autistic ( or those on the "autistic spectrum") children find it hard to cope in normal state schools and tend to get bullied as they stand out as "different". Their lives can be made a misery and all their confidence destroyed.

The provision in Bournemouth for these, often very bright ,children still seems to be woefully inadequate.

Is Mr Graham Davies still the Educational Psychologist in the education Dept at the Council ?
Just asking.......

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elfinia says...
6:27pm Fri 8 Feb 13

oh...Poole Council....sorry, I was referring to Bournemouth Council.

Sending your child to a special school miles away isn't the answer. Why can't there be a suitable school provided nearby ?

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Yankee1 says...
11:02pm Fri 8 Feb 13

autismum wrote:
It may be interesting to contact the council and ask how they are implementing the Autism strategy - following on from the Autism Act 2010.


If this is how Poole treats their autistic children, then I dread to think who they treat the autistic adults.

The following link is from the council website...

http://www.poole.gov

.uk/education-and-le

arning/parental-supp

ort/every-disabled-c

hild-matters/

Methinks the council is very out of date with it's 'pledge'.
How can they be out of date? They are 'Portfolio Holders'.

They also build useful iconic bridges....

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Bubbles80 says...
5:11pm Sat 9 Feb 13

Reading this as a mum with 2 autistic children makes my blood boil

i know from poersonal experiance bourenmouth and poole council are worst i have come across with autism issues

made my brother homeless rath than sorting his autistic issues

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guisselle says...
8:59pm Sat 9 Feb 13

I had to fight the system for my son,
the bureaucracy and stumbling-blocks
were awful but in the end my son
bucked the trend and achieved his
goals. I won't say the school he went to
was bad but he did not get the support
he needed when he was 16!

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