CLAUDIA FURNESS

Ms JODIE HARRISON(Charlestown)In August, my office was contacted by Claudia Furness. Claudia is a qualified science teacher and a carer to her son, Fox, who is on the autism spectrum. Fox attends Aspect at Thornton and was approved for the Assisted School Travel Programuntil Claudia was informed that she was not eligible for the program because she is a recipient of the Carer's Allowance. This advice came after she complained that Fox was spending up to two hours, on a one-way trip on the bus, far too long for any young person, let alone a young person with Fox's needs. Claudia organised a meeting between myself and other parents of children with autism who were also experiencing unacceptably long travel times on the school bus. As a result of her advocacy, the ASTP was reinstated for her son, and the bus company agreed to halve the bus route, and in doing so dramatically cut travel times for the children on the bus. Claudia's advocacy for her son and other children is truly commendable.

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