Ref. 75949-09THERE is light at the end of the tunnel for a mother who pleaded with Swindon Council for help looking after her autistic son.

Karen Turner, 35, was desperate to find a place in a residential school for her eight-year-old son Allen, whose behaviour has become aggressive and needs round-the-clock supervision.

Her request was turned down last November and she was told attempts were being made to find a family placement for him.

But since the Advertiser highlighted Karen's plight things have finally started to look up for her, Allen a pupil at The Chalet special school in Liden and her two daughters, Rebecca, nine and Rachel, 11.

Karen, of Somerville Road, Walcot, who is a widow, said: "Right now I feel as though a load has been lifted from my shoulders. So much has changed since the story was published.

"We got a call on Friday to say that a foster family had been found in the Swindon area who can share the looking after of Allen.

"If the family agrees to take Allen then it is great news for us. It means we can have a well-earned break and it means that Allen will be cared for in Swindon whereas if he had gone to a residential school that could have been anywhere."

As well as a foster family having been found, the respite care that Allen receives has been doubled from two nights a month to four.

Karen said: "Since the Adver article went in we've received so much more help.

"The respite care was doubled and we were given lots of extra help over Christmas.

"It has made such a difference to our lives and we can do all the little things that other families take for granted.

"When Allen is home our lives are regimented around him. From the second he gets off the school bus the doors are locked and often we don't go out. I was beginning to feel I couldn't cope with his behaviour.

"When he is in respite care we can leave the door open and the girls can go out in the street and play on their bikes or have friends round. I can take the girls out ice-skating and on other trips.

"There's a family guidance worker that comes in once a week now too to help the girls with their homework and the sort of thing I don't always have time to do."

Karen will get confirmation of whether Allen's foster care placement is to go ahead at a meeting with Swindon Council tomorrow.

Diana Milne