A MOREDON mum has blasted her autistic son’s school for excluding him.

Mel Barrett’s nine-year-old boy Rossi received several suspensions as he often lashed out – but his mum claims these tantrums could have been avoided if staff at Moredon Primary School had responded to signs of his discomfort sooner.

She says this treatment is indicative of a wider misunderstanding about how to support children with severe autism who struggle to communicate how they feel.

The school maintained it "does its very best" for staff and pupils.

Mel said: “They failed to spot triggers for his meltdowns, complained when he went beyond the point of no return and then suspended him, over and over for months.

“The headteacher told me that if this behaviour continued, so would the suspensions – but it’s not him choosing to behave that way, it’s his condition.

“One day he told us he was a violent and naughty boy. We don’t use those words so he must have heard it from the staff.

“He dislikes human contact and you can lead him out of a room peacefully but he was pulled out of class by his wrists on one occasion. They never know why he started acting out so it kept happening until one day they just had enough.

“They failed to meet his needs so they excluded him, which I think happens more often than people realise. Now he cries and asks why he can’t see his friends.”
Mel is considering home-schooling Rossi if no other education facility can take him on.

A spokesperson for the school said: “At Moredon Primary and Nursery School, the safety and wellbeing of all our staff and children is paramount.

“In conjunction with the relevant authorities we’ve developed robust policies which both the school and families must adhere to, to ensure staff and children work and learn in a safe environment.

“It’s our policy not to comment on the specifics of individual cases in order to protect any children who may be involved. 

“As a school, we’re absolutely committed to doing the very best for both our staff and pupils with the facilities and funding currently available. 

“We’d like to thank our families and community for their continued understanding and support.”