Why this eight-year-old girl with autism hasn't been to school in more than two years

  • ITV Meridian's Christine Alsford reports from Southampton

A mother from Hampshire whose eight-year-old daughter has been out of school for almost two years has told ITV Meridian she's exhausted by fighting for what her child deserves.

Kayleigh Robinson from Netley says there isn't a school in Hampshire or the surrounding area which can meet her daughter Elsie's needs.

Elsie has been diagnosed with developmental trauma, and mum Kayleigh says she had no choice but to quit her full-time job and go self-employed so that she was more available to care for her daughter.

"Most days she isn't even able to leave the house, let alone be in a school setting," Kayleigh said.

"She's academically able, and for that reason her needs were overlooked significantly by the mainstream setting she was previously in.

"We were seeing problems at home and we raised that repeatedly with the school, but we were told she is fine here.

"Her needs were overlooked significantly by the mainstream setting she was in, the preventable avoidable damage that's been caused has had potentially a lifelong impact on her."

Protesters from SEND Reform gathered in Southampton's Guildhall Square on Thursday. (12 October) Credit: ITV Meridian

Kayleigh and her daughter today gathered with other families who say they're being failed by the education system, to protest in Southampton this morning.

Organised by Send Reform, parents of children with special needs say their children are suffering amid a worsening crisis.

13 protests are taking place across the country this week, amid what many have described as a 'worsening crisis.'

  • Parents holding a protests in Southampton's Guildhall Square say the system is 'broken.'

A spokesperson for Hampshire County Council, who are responsible for Elsie's education said: "We work extremely hard to provide the right levels of assistance to meet a child's individual needs but the significant increase in the number of children and young people requiring extra support has risen exponentially in recent years, putting additional pressure on the system.

"This is a national issue, requiring a national solution in terms of increased funding and legislative change."

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