Melanie Sykes’ Autistic Son Asked To Leave Mainstream Academy; TV Presenter Still Looking For School

TV presenter Melanie Sykes shares what she feels about finding a suitable school for her son who has autism. The 11-year-old Valentino has been asked to leave a mainstream academy because he "doesn't fit" there.

Melanie Sykes Doesn't Want Autism School

Melanie's son with ex-husband Daniel Caltagirone was diagnosed with autism in 2006 when he was only 2 years old. After Valentino's progress was recently reviewed, the school said it would be better if he leaves. Since then, Melanie has been struggling to find a suitable one for her son, worrying that it may affect him later in life. She doesn't want to send him to a school specific for those who have autism.

Sykes told Mirror, "He is a high functioning autistic child. We do not yet know what Valentino's gifts are, but he definitely straddles the autistic world and the mainstream world. I do not want to put him in a school with only autistic children."

Parents Of Autistic Children Become Desperate

Melanie Sykes is just one of the several parents who feel "desperate" about finding a suitable mainstream school for their children. Caltagirone believes there is a more serious problem than what it seems, saying that "They are driven by exam grades. What is becoming clear is that we are not the only ones in this situation. We have met a lot of parents whose children have special educational needs who have been told, 'We have pressure from inspectors to meet academic standards, so your son or daughter does not fit in here.'"

More than one in 100 children have autism in the United Kingdom, and 70 percent of them attend mainstream schools, The Telegraph noted. Recently, the government announced that autism will now be part of the core training for teachers in a bid to support teachers in properly handling autistic students and their special needs.