Alex's mum, Angela, talks about her son's experience of school, and the impact this has had on their lives.

Alex's time at school has been very hard. At the first junior school he went to, the teachers didn't believe he needed any extra support at all and were unwilling to listen to me.

The children at school made fun of him and he was excluded. He began to get ill, both physically and mentally, and still the teachers didn't listen. Eventually, we were forced to move him to a new school.

At his new school, the teachers were very understanding. He received extra support at lunchtimes and during certain lessons. As a result, his health improved and he did well at school. He achieved level 5s in his SATS.

However, on moving to secondary school, things got worse again. Some of his teachers were extremely unsupportive, and the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) wasn't able to effectively provide him with the extra support he needed. We were made to feel very unwelcome and eventually he was excluded, with the school telling us "we need to consider if this is the right school for Alex". Once again, we were forced to move to a new school at the end of Year Seven.

Alex now attends a secondary school, half an hour drive outside of our catchment area. It was the best move we have ever made. Alex is now receiving appropriate and effective support. We are also being listened to. The staff at his current school are very supportive and compassionate and the SENCO is wonderful. In the past few months alone I have seen a massive improvement in his social and communication skills and he is now very happy.

Sadly stories like ours are not uncommon. Children like Alex need timely support in order to do well academically and socially. Had we received the right support earlier, Alex would not have been excluded nor forced to change schools so frequently, and would have been enjoying and achieving at school in the way we know he can.
Angela

Take action

On 27 June we are launching our new campaign, Great Expectations, to highlight the huge challenges and frustrations that parents and children face within the current education system. The Government's special educational needs (SEN) and disability reforms will shape the future of a generation of children with autism. This is our opportunity to make sure they get it right.

You can support the campaign on 27 June by telling your MP why they must take action. For this, and other great ways to get involved, visit www.autism.org.uk/campaign