Shropshire mother hits out over taxi ruling for disabled son

But Naomi Reynolds can only accompany Ashton Smith on two days, meaning the "severely autistic" little boy is missing out on two days of classes.

Ashton attends Kaleidoscope Child Care in Shifnal full-time and The Bridge special school in Hadley, Telford, for two hours on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Miss Reynolds, 29, of Park Street, Shifnal, had been expecting a Shropshire Council minibus to take her child between the nurseries.

But before the start of the school year she was told Ashton would have to travel by taxi for the Shifnal to Hadley journey.

"I have been accompanying him on Wednesdays and Thursdays in a taxi because I do not drive," she said.

"I have been having to wait there for two hours in the parents' room while he has his sessions.

"On Monday and Tuesday he goes to his mainstream nursery but on those days it would just have been him and the taxi driver which I told them I did not feel comfortable with.

"He is only three years old, he is a baby. He cannot communicate properly he does not really talk. He communicates by screaming and he could not tell you if he was upset.

"I do not feel that that is good for Ashton or the driver. Because of his condition, sometimes he will have a meltdown where he will refuse to get out of the taxi.

"He can take his arms out of the seatbelt. Even if a taxi driver is CRB checked, if anything happened Ashton could not tell you, if the driver went the wrong way, or if anything happened.

"When I have taken Ashton myself in a taxi, drivers have said to me they do not think they would feel comfortable having him in there on his own.

"The children that have been on their own in the taxis have been a lot older."

She added: "I am going to keep on fighting this.

"He is missing four hours a week. My boy really does need that one-to-one interaction because the mainstream nursery does struggle with him. They have been amazing with him.

"I do not know how the council thinks I could put my little boy, or any child of that age, in a taxi on their own. I do not think that is right."

James Willocks, transport commissioning manager at Shropshire Council, said: "Although we are unable to comment on individual cases, if a parent or carer is unhappy with the transport arrangements for their child, we do have an appeal process in place to hear their concerns.

"This involves considering any supporting information provided by the parent or carer, the relevant legislation and any information provided by health care professionals, prior to making a decision. Appeals are initially considered by a senior officer and then by an appeals panel, should the parent or carer be unhappy with the outcome of the appeal."