Like Samantha Hall, who recently revealed the difficulties she wentthrough to get her two sons statements of special educational needs(Children Now, 5-11 July), it was terribly difficult to get our childrendiagnosed and helped, and we had to battle for years. As a result, forthree of our children, mainstream school days were hell and they wereclinically depressed and self-harming during the high-pressure GCSEyears. By then we weren't so much getting them an education as savingtheir lives.
While the special educational needs co-ordinator and some teachers triedto help us their hands were tied, and others just didn't understand.However, I don't blame them. I have great respect for teachers, but theyhad neither the experience nor training required. Teaching a large classwith even one or two children with special needs must be stressful, andI'm not surprised that teachers cite inclusion as a major reason forleaving the profession.
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