A Worcester Park mother claims she has been left holding the baby, educating her non-verbally autistic son at home due to Sutton Council inaction.

Mary Jacobs told the Comet she had been left almost totally reliant on her own initiative and money, with only help from charities and her GP, to take care of son Lyndons very specialised educational needs, at the cost of her property business.

But Sutton Council says it is doing everything it can to support Lyndon and Mrs Jacobs while a school place is sought.

Lyndon who cannot communicate verbally was due to start school in Easter, but has yet to spend a day in the classroom.

She said: Im teaching him myself. Nobodys come to see what Im doing. I dont feel hes losing out academically, but hes losing out through not being with other children.

Lyndon was rejected from Foresters Primary School in Wallington, which does have a unit for children with communication difficulties, because it does not cater for his form of autism. Other, more suitable, schools such as Linden Bridge in Worcester Park, are massively oversubscribed.

Mrs Jacobs admitted she had rejected Redgate, a special school in Croydon.

She said: The LEA said it had an autistic specialism, but there was only one autistic child there.

Currently, the two sides are in dispute over a possible place for Lyndon at Amy Johnson Primary, Wallington, which includes a unit for children with moderate learning difficulties: the council believes it is suitable; Mrs Jacobs does not.

She added: It doesnt have the expertise. As far as Im concerned that matter is closed.

Mrs Jacobs said Lyndon had not received a full statement of his educational needs from the council, nor had she received any materials and resources for his teaching.

She praised the help she had received from the British Institute for Brain Injured Children (BIBIC), a charity which has provided her with an education programme for Lyndon, and her GP, who has arranged speech therapy.

A council spokesman countered many of Mrs Jacobs accusations. He said: We are currently in discussion with a school.

There are very few schools in the area which are able to offer the level of teaching and emotional support identified.

By.Mithran Samuel