A NORTHLEW mother says the education system has failed her son by not properly recognising his Asperger?s Syndrome. Thomas Turner, 15, is currently receiving limited schooling at home, having been permanently excluded from Okehampton College in May. His mother, Jane Turner, is now preparing to take the case to judicial review because she claims Thomas was discriminated against because of his disability. Asperger?s Syndrome is a form of autism that affects the way a person communicates and relates to others. Last term, Thomas was receiving three hours a week of link education at home following his expulsion, and this had risen to seven hours this term. However, Mrs Turner said she could see no way her son would be ready to sit his GCSE examinations next summer, following the amount of disruption to his education. ?An Asperger?s child needs structure, and now he is not going to school, Thomas has not got that. His mental health has deteriorated in that time,? said Mrs Turner. Thomas was excluded from school after assaulting a teacher earlier this year. However, Mrs Turner said there were mitigating factors. Following unsuccessful appeals to the college governors and the independent Devon School Appeals Panel, Mrs Turner has now found a solicitor who is preparing a case for a judicial review to be lodged later this month. She said: ?My concern is, as much as the Ofsted report says Okehampton College is good on special educational needs, I know children with Asperger?s Syndrome are being failed by the school. ?I am not blaming Okehampton College completely, but they discriminated against Thomas because of a disability they don?t understand,? she said. Mrs Turner said she did not hold the principal of Okehampton College personally responsible: ?Daryll Chapman has been fantastic. Throughout the whole thing, he did not want to have to exclude Thomas, but he had to follow the rules.? Mrs Turner said a ?very special? teacher at Hatherleigh Primary School had first identified that Thomas was autistic. However, she believed few teachers were as sympathetic or understanding. Mrs Turner added that because a person cannot tell that a child has Asperger?s just by looking at them, teachers might judge the child to be naughty or disruptive. She said the LEA?s lack of understanding of Asperger?s was reflected in the fact Devon County Council had no special school for children with the condition. The nearest such school is Farley College in Somerset. Mrs Turner said the authorities had finally agreed to prepare a statement of special educational needs for Thomas. The process began with an assessment last week and she was hopeful the statement would help him secure a place at the specialist school in Somerset. Asperger?s Syndrome is on the autistic spectrum. A child with Asperger?s would be likely to take everything said to them in a literal sense, could perceive threats in innocuous situations and could be prime targets for bullying. Okehampton College?s most recent Ofsted report states: ?Students with emotional and behavioural difficulties make good progress in managing their behaviour and developing their social skills as a result of the high quality support they receive.? The report notes that the percentage of students at Okehampton College who have learning difficulties and disabilities is slightly lower than that found in other schools. Okehampton College said it was unable to comment on an individual case where a child had been excluded. However, a spokesperson for Devon County Council said: ?Headteachers do not exclude students lightly but we cannot tolerate physical assaults and the action of the school has been supported on appeal.? The spokesman added: ?Children with Asperger?s Syndrome often have their needs successfully met through inclusion in mainstream schools with support from the county council?s autism team. Guidance is available to schools to help them meet the needs of such children.?
