Mother helps locked-in son learn to communicate with his eyes

• ITV News correspondent Rupert Evelyn reports

A ten-year-old boy, suffering from locked-in syndrome, has petitioned the government to reform special needs curriculum so all non-verbal children are taught to read and write.

Jonathan Bryan was unable to communicate after being born with severe cerebral palsy, but was taught how to communicate with his eyes, by his mother, last year.

"It was wonderful", his mother Chantal Bryan said. "It was really wonderful to be able to talk to him, properly, ask him anything - and for him to talk to us back for the first time, aged nine.

"To talk to your son, it was beautiful", she added.

Jonathan was described as having Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties at the age of four "despite no-one having taught me, or having found a way for me to communicate".

With the help of a letter board, he is now writing poems and blogs.

Chantal blamed an educational system that lacked any belief for children like Johnathan - and is pushing for those in a similar condition to be given access to suitable education.

She said: "Educationally, I think there's a poverty of ambition for children like Jonathan and there was no aspiration that he might be able to read and write.

"There wasn't enough put in to actually investigate whether he had the mental capacity to do it."

Jonathan has written to the Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan, and hopes to have enough signatures on his petition so that it can be discussed in parliament.

ITV News correspondent Rupert Evelyn says Johnathan's petition is "about willingness, but they believe that is in short supply".

• Jonathan's poetry

Song of Silence

Song of Voice