'My son is traumatised, and now it's taking him an hour there and back in a taxi'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A mother says her 10-year-old son has been left 'traumatised' after missing seven months of education. Oliver, who has autism, was no longer able to attend his mainstream school in September 2023..

And despite a tutor being identified within two weeks, and Trafford council identifying two special schools with places immediately available, the town hall delayed looking at his case at funding panel meetings for months.

His mum, Emily Beardsall, 41, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) she had to take sick leave, with a pay cut, from her NHS job to care for her son while he was at home..

She described her son as ‘traumatised’ by the effects of being out of school for months. “It’s over a year since he left mainstream school, but he’s still traumatised,” she said. “Although he’s managing to attend this latest school, it’s by no means perfect.