News Story: Autistic teen forced to miss 2 years of school

Autism and Neurodiversity News

Autistic teen forced to miss 2 years of school

UK County Council ordered to pay costs

Wednesday 15th October 2025

Source: BBC News (UK)

A 13-year-old autistic girl in Cambridgeshire has been out of school for nearly two years due to council delays in providing appropriate support.

Her mother, Sarah, described her fight for help as a "constant battle".

The Local Government Ombudsman ordered Cambridgeshire County Council to pay the family £4,700 for failing to provide a suitable education for her daughter, Sophia, and for delaying an assessment for an education, health and care (EHC) plan.

A council meeting heard that more than 80% of complaints about its provision for pupils with special education needs were upheld.

The council cited an "unprecedented" increase in demand for its services, with EHC plans having more than doubled since 2018.

Read the full article here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c24r77e2m5vo

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