Families across Lincolnshire report that children with disabilities aren't receiving adequate support, asserting that mainstream schools lack the necessary facilities to accommodate those with complex learning difficulties.

Now, parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are staging a rally in Castle Square in Lincoln, on Friday, October 13, to demand reform. Parents and carers from across Lincolnshire are expected to attend.

They say that there is a severe lack of spaces and prolonged wait times for SEND schools nationwide, a situation that compelled thousands of children with specialised needs to enrol in mainstream education.

The protest, scheduled from 11am to 2pm, will feature speakers sharing their personal journeys and outlining how the system has failed their children.

Organisers assure that it will be a safe space for those struggling to come together and discuss the challenges they're facing.

Protest leader Corinne Brian, 29, has advocated for autism rights through her blog for over two years. She was inspired to champion this cause after her own experiences raising two autistic children, Caleb, 5, and Roman, 4.

She said: "The protest itself is to change the SEND education system in this country, which is absolutely diabolical and seriously needs a revamp."

She later revealed instances of parents resorting to home schooling due to the inability to secure a place for their children at a SEND school.

Ms Brian considers herself among the fortunate, as her son Caleb was able to secure a spot at a specialist school. "I feel upset that all of the other children won't get what my son has," she added.

Her younger son Roman is not just autistic, but also grapples with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). Currently, he's in mainstream education and managing, but Ms Brian is apprehensive about the future.

"A time will come when he will need an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP)," she expressed.

She later criticised Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) after a recent Freedom of Information (FOI) request found in 2022, 710 out of 745 EHCP requests, amounting to 95.3%, were processed within 20 weeks.

"A few of us are still fighting," continued Corrine. "There are many families in Lincoln that have been waiting well over 30-40 weeks, which isn't right."

"SEND children are struggling with mental health and anxiety from having to go to a mainstream school. Our children have a right to an education as well."

Lucy Burghart, 31, moved to Lincoln in February 2021 and encountered significant challenges securing a spot in a SEND school for her nearly five-year-old son Jaxon.

Jaxon has Autism, Global Development Delay (GDD), and Hypermobility, which limits his ability to stand for extended periods.

While also being non-verbal and still dependent on nappies, mum Lucy describes him as "a five-year-old in the body of an 18-month old."

Despite having received dedicated one-on-one support at his nursery, the young boy wasn't offered a spot in a specialist school.

The family's woes were compounded when four mainstream schools also turned Jaxon away, stating they lacked the facilities to cater to his specific needs.

Lucy is still stung by one school's response: they suggested that admitting Jaxon would reduce them to a "glorified babysitter."

She said: "He was meant to start school this September, but I've had to defer him.

"He's not naughty, he's a lovely little boy, but he's been completely failed by the local council."

With no alternatives, Lucy contemplated homeschooling Jaxon, but with her job in Nottingham, this is unfeasible.

She added: "A child with special needs is going to get better grades if they are in an environment where they feel comfortable."

The family now pins their hopes on an appeal set for May 2024, aiming to secure a spot for Jaxon in a suitable school.

"We are just this small family trying to fight this massive local authority. I don't know if we'll get what we want, but I am not backing down until he gets what he needs," Lucy concluded.

In response to the planned protest next month, Sheridan Dodsworth, head of SEND at Lincolnshire County Council, said: "The council works hard to ensure children and young people with SEND receive the support they need.

"Over 95% of Education Health and Care Plans are completed within the 20-week deadline, and we have been recognised for our high completion rate on numerous occasions.

"The government has recognised that there is increasing pressure on the SEND system caused by rising demand, and, earlier this year, published a national improvement plan to ensure children get the right support, in the right place, at the right time. Further details can be found here."

Regrettably, the challenges faced by these families are not isolated to Lincolnshire; children with special needs across the UK have encountered similar difficulties in recent years.

Jake Runacres, Policy and Parliamentary Officer at the National Autistic Society, said: "The SEND system is simply not working for autistic children.

"Families are facing lengthy battles to get the right support for their children, and our research shows that many autistic pupils are being failed by a woeful lack of appropriate school places.

"Nearly three quarters of autistic children and young people are educated in mainstream schools, so increasing the number of schools specifically for children with SEND is not enough on its own to fix the problem.

"Every teacher needs to understand autism, and every autistic child needs to get the right support at school. That's why we're calling on the government to launch an autism school places taskforce to ensure the right school places and support are available for autistic pupils.

"We won't accept a world where autistic children miss out on an education, and families are left exhausted and on the brink of crisis."