A Lisburn mum says she fears for her teenage son's future when he leaves school due to the lack of legislation in place for post-19 students with special educational needs in Northern Ireland.
This specifies the support needed and the outcomes the young person would like to achieve. In England, a young person can express a preference for a specialist Further Education College, which is then stated in their EHC plan. In contrast, Caleb has fewer options open to him in terms of further education or employment and Alma says more options need to be put in place for SEN children once they leave school.
"Caleb has communication and complex needs. He needs full support in any environment, but we have seen how much he can achieve when the right support is in place." Alma added: "The most recent independent review of education clearly states that no change is likely to happen unless legislation is put in place, hence why we in Northern Ireland desperately need this as a matter of urgency.