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Kellie Bright has opened up on her endless ‘battle’ of raising her autistic 12-year-old son Freddie.
The actress, 49, best known for her portrayal of Linda Carter in EastEnders, explained that her son is one of the 1.7 million SEND children in England – those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
The term is used to refer to those with a number of conditions, including physical disabilities and neurodivergent conditions like ADHD, which her son also has.
Kellie, who has three sons with her husband Paul Stocker, emotionally said on BBC Radio 4, Kellie said: ‘Everything is a fight, everything. Nothing comes easily.
‘No one is there saying, ‘oh yes, I can see that this need is here and let me help you with that’.
‘Everything is a battle, which is why parents and parent carers of children with SEND are so exhausted.
Kellie Bright, 49, has opened up on her endless ‘battle’ of raising her autistic 12-year-old son Freddie
The actress explained that her son is one of the 1.7 million SEND children in England – those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
‘The other thing I’ve heard again and again is this idea that at 16 everything just falls off a cliff.
‘Let’s face it, we are legally required for our children to remain in education till they’re 18, whatever that looks like.
‘Then why on earth would those provisions be taken away at 16? I just can’t get my head around it.’
Kellie explored the difficulties parents face under the current system in her BBC Panorama documentary last year.
Parents are required to apply for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) if they believe that their child needs legally binding additional support – a process which took her and her husband ‘hours’.
She said: ‘You might know me as EastEnders’ Linda Carter but I’m also a mum to my autistic son. He’s also dyslexic and has ADHD.
‘It took months of perseverance and hard work from my husband and I to try to get the right education for him. At times, it felt like a battle.’
The actress said that her son’s struggles motivated her to make the Panorama film to shed a light on the ‘frustrating’ process.
Kellie is best known for her portrayal of Linda Carter in EastEnders (pictured)
She explained: ‘That is why I wanted to make this film for Panorama, so I could meet other families who were going through the same thing, and speak to teachers, councils and the government about how SEND children are educated in England.
‘My husband and I spent hours filling in the forms to request an EHCP and many families find the process very frustrating.’
Kellie discovered that the government is now planning ‘major reforms’ of the current SEND system in England, although they have yet to be finalised.
The minister for school standards, Georgia Gould, told the actress: ‘We’re wanting to put more support in earlier.
‘Where people have fought for support, and that’s in place, we want to make sure that that support continues.’