Splitting York autistic twins may have unwanted outcome - charity

A foundation has warned of imaginable "unwanted outcomes" aft autistic duplicate brothers were allocated places astatine 2 antithetic schools.

Jasper has been offered a spot astatine Hob Moor Oaks School, successful York, leaving Reuben to be a mainstream primary.

The four-year-olds' parents, Pete and Rhiannon, are taking their lawsuit against City of York Council to a tribunal.

Ahead of the hearing, Twins Trust said separation could origin intelligence issues "for years to come".

In a statement, Shauna Leven, main enforcement of Twins Trust, said: "In the immense bulk of cases, separation of multiples into antithetic schools against their volition tin bring astir unwanted outcomes for each concerned. The intelligence effect of separation tin make problems for years to come.

"Often twins similar Reuben and Jasper are unneurotic from birth, past passim nursery school. They go emotionally babelike connected each different and tin beryllium distressed erstwhile separated.

"We powerfully impulse determination makers to find ways to let families to beryllium astatine the centre of decision-making regarding their schoolhouse placement."

Ms Leven added it was "preferable" for children "to person arsenic overmuch clip arsenic imaginable to hole for modulation to superior school".

Both boys are non-verbal and person Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) detailing "significant" difficulties.

City of York Council has told the household that Hob Moor Oaks School is "over-subscribed" but has antecedently pledged to enactment with the household to find "suitable provision" for Reuben.

Subject to a ruling to the contrary from adjacent month's tribunal panel, Reuben volition be a mainstream superior that adjoins the peculiar school.

Pete and Rhiannon said their sons' advisor paediatrician has besides submitted a missive of enactment for the tribunal.

Former peculiar needs teacher Pete said: "Although Jasper and Reuben would technically beryllium nether the aforesaid extortion the proviso would beryllium precise different. One is simply a peculiar school; the different is simply a mainstream superior school.

"They are identical twins with the aforesaid needs. Since Jasper was offered his spot successful January, it's been truly stressful. It's caused a batch of sleepless nights."

Meanwhile, York Central MP Rachael Maskell said she had met with a elder assembly authoritative past week to sermon the case.

She said she understood the family's concerns but added determination is "a shortage of SEND [Special Educational Needs and Disability] provision" successful York and North Yorkshire.

Martin Kelly, City of York Council's firm manager of Children and Education, said: "The allocation of peculiar schoolhouse places ever takes relationship of the circumstances of idiosyncratic children, and wherever children are successful enhanced assets proviso oregon successful mainstream proviso this is considered by the admissions sheet with schoolhouse places allocated connected this basis.

"In communal with section authorities nationally, York has seen a important summation successful parental requests for peculiar schoolhouse places since 2020. We are addressing this summation by implementing superior plans which some summation specializer and enhanced assets provisions, and enactment due adaptations successful mainstream education."

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal is expected to perceive the lawsuit connected 14 September.