Mum's fury as autistic boy aged 8 with an IQ of 168 is forced to go to special school

[superboyian]

Cambridgeshire council say Christian Farrington needs specialist education
But his mother Gabrielle says moving schools will wreck his rare talents
The seven-year-old has 168 IQ and could read aloud at 18-months-old


By Martin Robinson

PUBLISHED: 13:27, 30 July 2013 | UPDATED: 01:57, 31 July 2013


Complaints: Gabriel Pakpourtabrizi, 25, is fighting to stop her council sending gifted son Christian Farrington, 7, to a special school

With his photographic memory and an IQ of 168, Christian Farrington is top of the class.

The eight-year-old ? who taught himself to read at 18 months ? has the academic ability of a child twice his age.

But Christian has been told that he will have to move from his primary school to a special school because he has autism.

Despite his brilliant progress at school, the local education authority has decided it is too costly for him to have teaching assistants there.

His mother, Gabrielle Pakpourtabrizi, 25, is taking legal action.

Miss Pakpourtabrizi, from Ely in Cambridgeshire, said: ?Taking him out of the school he loves and putting him in a special needs school will pull the carpet from underneath him and completely ruin him.

?He has surpassed everyone?s expectations and no child deserves to be taken away from a school that is working for them.?

Christian has attended Ely St John?s Community Primary School since he started school.

His mother first noticed her son?s abilities when he picked up a children?s book in a doctors? waiting room as an 18-month-old toddler and read it aloud.


Experts say Christian has the academic ability of a 15-year-old but he has high-functioning autism, which means he can struggle with some social situations.


He has had a one-to-one teaching assistant at his school to help him deal with loud environments and busy classes.



Christian with his Mum, Gabriel

Christian Farrington, 7, from Ely in Cambridgeshire


Young and talented: Gabrielle says he boy Christian has an high IQ and a photographic memory, but moving him away from mainstream school will wreck his chances

Special: Christian's detailed drawings, including this one, led to him being diagnosed with autism

But the local authority now wants to move him to a school for children with learning difficulties after Ely St John?s asked for funding for a second teaching assistant. Miss Pakpourtabrizi said he was thriving at school and the decision will see his progress stall and rare talents wasted.

Happy chap: Christian, pictured as a baby, taught himself to read and began reading out loud at 18 months

She said: ?What the council wants to do simply isn?t on and they would be depriving Christian of his opportunities.

?The only reason they?re doing this is to save money as they don?t want to have to pay to support Christian as he progresses through mainstream school. What he?s achieving at his current primary school is priceless.

?He will not be intellectually stimulated there (at a special school).


'I will be willing to back a change, but only if it is the correct one for my son.?

Miss Pakpourtabrizi has launched tribunal proceedings against Cambridgeshire County Council?s decision to move him to Gretton School in Girton.


A Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal will decide if Christian should move to the special school.

If the appeal is unsuccessful, the case can be heard in the High Court.

Miss Pakpourtabrizi has asked that if her son cannot attend his local primary school that he go to a residential school for children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties in Rutland.

A council spokesman said: ?It is agreed that Christian requires specialist provision.

?The county council has identified an independent special school in the county which can meet his needs, but his parents have not accepted this. Home: Christian is Ely St John's Community Primary School but the council want him moved elsewhere

'They have identified an alternative school, but due to its distance from his home, Christian would have to be a weekly boarder. We feel this is inappropriate for a seven-year-old [Christian turned eight yesterday].

?His parents disagree and have lodged an
appeal, which they are entitled to do.?
Ely St John?s school declined to comment.


Read more: Mum's fury as autistic boy aged 8 with an IQ of 168 is forced to go to special school because council refuses to pay for extra help | Mail Online
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Source: Mum's fury as autistic boy aged 8 with an IQ of 168 is forced to go to special school because council refuses to pay for extra help | Mail Online

 

[Geordie]

Re: Mum's fury as autistic boy aged 8 with an IQ of 168 is forced to go to special sc

It is such news that I see on the news almost every day that I decided to myself, it is the 'norm' in our society. Special people become ridiculed and mocked at for doing their thing.

Budget cuts should not hinder the personal development of a fine young gentleman. Ignorance, even more so.

 

[tryingtoregister]

Re: Mum's fury as autistic boy aged 8 with an IQ of 168 is forced to go to special sc

I can relate to this, when I was young my mom had to fight the similar fight with my local elementary school. First they tried to put me on track to finish school early (graduate by the time I was 14-15) but after skipping once I reacted so poorly socially that I had to go back to situation I was confortable with. Then later they tried to move me to special needs school but we ended up moving..

 

[Ste11aeres]

Re: Mum's fury as autistic boy aged 8 with an IQ of 168 is forced to go to special sc

I am so glad they don't do this in the United States.
Then again, in the US people can send their kids to the horror known as the Judge Rotenberg Center. Autistic Hoya: Judge Rotenberg Center Survivor's Letter

 

[tryingtoregister]

Re: Mum's fury as autistic boy aged 8 with an IQ of 168 is forced to go to special sc

I was in the US. The second part only happened *Note my mothers version of events* because the school was upset over the fact that I wasn't allowed to become their "star pupil" because intellectually and academically I could absolutely handle the workload.