Parents of Autistic Child Struggle with Costly School Transport

Ellie and Matthew, parents of a four-year-old autistic boy named Frank, are facing significant challenges due to transport issues related to his education. Frank, who attends a special school located approximately six miles from their home, cannot benefit from the specialist transport services provided by Birmingham City Council because of their policy, which limits eligibility to children aged five and above.

Despite having secured a place for Frank at Merstone School in Solihull — the only educational institution capable of meeting his specific needs as per his Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) — the family has been left to cover daily transport costs themselves. This translates into a daily expense of £60 on taxis for four trips back and forth from their residence in Acock’s Green, amounting to at least £300 weekly. The council, however, has offered a personal transport budget of only £340 annually, prompting concerns about the affordability of this situation for Ellie and Matthew.

The couple has expressed extreme frustration and worry over the financial burden, with Matthew highlighting how most of Frank’s classmates benefit from Solihull Council’s transport policy, which includes all reception-aged children without age restrictions. They fear that the prolonged inability to afford transportation to school may ultimately force them to withdraw Frank from his current educational environment, which they believe is essential for his personal growth.

Birmingham City Council’s stance is that children under five are classified as pre-schoolers, thus excluding them from compulsory transport provisioning. However, they suggest offering personal transport budgets to aid parents in accompanying their young children where feasible. This policy has incited criticism from various parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities, many of whom have encountered similar denials concerning transport services.

There is a rising discontent among Birmingham’s parent community, especially with recent budget cuts affecting transport services for older children with special needs, which has left up to 50% of sixth form students in the region without full-time educational attendance.