Mum forced to teach autistic son at home after council denies specialist space

Mum forced to teach autistic son at home after council denies specialist space A Leicestershire mum has been forced to teach her young autistic son from home after he was denied a place at a specialist school As millions of children head back through the school gates this week, Sharanjeet Rodrigues is at home in Leicester, frantically downloading a school curriculum and setting up science kits for her young son. Xavier, who has AuDHD (a dual diagnosis of autism and ADHD), suffers from such severe emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA) that the mere thought of entering a classroom causes him physical pain. "As soon as the prospect of school kicks back in on a Sunday night, he's up all night and extremely dysregulated," Sharanjeet told the Daily Mirror. "He experiences actual physical pain and tells me he just can't do it." Sharanjeet has no teaching experience, but she has been forced to homeschool Xavier because local authority delays and red tape have denied him a place at a specialist school equipped to handle his needs. Her nightmare reflects a mounting scandal. Across the UK, vulnerable children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) are being driven out of school, a charity has warned. Children who need extra support are assessed for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), a legally binding document outlining the exact support and environment required to meet their needs. However, Robert Martin, chief executive officer of disability charity Menphys, says councils are failing to deliver. "Time and again, we see families having to fight for access to the right educational provision for their child," Mr Martin told the Mirror. "Children whose special educational needs, development and wellbeing cannot be properly supported in a mainstream classroom are still too often denied access to the specialist provision they need." For the 2024–25 academic year, the Department for Education estimated that 143,500 children across England were missing education (CME) at some point during the year, either due to not being registered at a school or receiving inadequate education. While councils are legally required to review EHCP cases within 20 weeks when mainstream settings fail, Menphys warns that desperate families are routinely left waiting up to a year, leaving children in educational limbo. "Many parents are forced to go to tribunal to get the rights of their children met," Mr Martin said. "What happens whilst all of this is happening is that the child's mental health deteriorates." He added: "Securing an EHCP is only the first step. What matters is that the support set out within that plan is actually delivered, in an environment with the resources, expertise and capability to meet the child’s needs. Getting this right is fundamental to a child's wellbeing, education and future." When Xavier's mainstream school proved "too loud and too busy", leaving him distressed and spending more time out of the classroom than inside learning, Sharanjeet requested an EHCP review in January. After finding the 'perfect' school tailored for children with cognitive, learning and social needs, the mum submitted a doctors' note diagnosing him with EBSA, private occupational therapy reports, educational psychologist assessments, and two statements from teachers at his current school, confirming it could not meet his needs. "All this was submitted to the local council and we heard nothing," Sharanjeet claims. "I set up Teams calls, but 15 minutes before, they would cancel citing staff shortages, with no prospect of rescheduling. We heard radio silence. We were ghosted. Nothing." After getting their local MP involved, the council returned the amended EHCP in May - but Sharanjeet claims key evidence had been stripped out. "The evidence they submitted to the panel was omitted," she claimed. "They did not supply the panel with the doctor's note or the teacher statements. Lo and behold, the panel came back and named the very mainstream school that he simply cannot attend." Despite Xavier holding an ECHP with full funding, Sharanjeet says he receives just five hours a week of mainstream support, meaning it's still "proving very challenging for him". She has appealed but faces a two year backlog for a tribunal if mediation fails. "I'm off sick for anxiety, but I've downloaded a curriculum, books and science kits, and I'm teaching my son at home. But every day you're just thinking of what else can I do? How can I be heard?" Sharanjeet added. "I don't want to be the parent that's got a child at home for years. There's so much vital education he's missing out on. And why should he not have it, because he's neurodivergent? "He's missing out on interaction that is so important for an autistic child. I'm paying privately for tutoring while running a household, working and caring for another child. It's causing him trauma to even think about reintegrating him back in. It's all cost saving. It's all cost saving at the expense of a child." Last year, a joint inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found Leicester has a shortfall in specialist education provision for children with SEND, leaving children facing severe delays in accessing a suitable placement while a "small minority" are out of education entirely, while they wait. Inspectors noted that EHCPs were frequently delayed and lacked necessary detail to prepare young people for their futures. The watchdog also found that delays in producing EHCPs following annual reviews meant that professionals did not have access to up to date information about the children and young people's needs. A spokesperson for Leicestershire County Council said: "Whilst we don't comment on individual cases, we do work with SEND children's educational settings to ensure they have appropriate provision and make sure they have the right support in place." Sharanjeet’s experience is echoed by another local mum, Lauren, whose seven-year-old autistic son Austin has been unable to attend a full day of school in nearly two years after being denied a specialist placement following a council move. The government have pledged to reform the SEND system, committing £740m to encourage councils to build more specialist capacity within mainstream environments and provide earlier intervention for neurodivergent pupils.