Alex was diagnosed as being autistic from an early age. Early schooling was difficult as he was not given specialised attention, but with the support from his father at home and in organising proper support at school, Alex in the main was a happy boy. His learning improved, he loved to play and had a group of friends. There were times where he was bullied throughout the years but managed to cope.

Alex's dad managed to get Alex into a specialised secondary school but things began to go bad for Alex, as he was targeted by two bullies which led to Alex not being permitted to go outside at break-times because of danger to him - this has happened recurrently and has always badly affected his wellbeing as he is a sociable boy.

Then an incident occurred during a school Open Day when there was no supervision for Alex playing on the trampoline. It was there that the bullies attacked him and he retaliated and fought back. Alex was excluded from school for a week because the bullies backed each other up on their story, despite the school being well aware of their bullying of Alex over a long period of time. Alex had also been chosen to play the lead part in the school play of Bugsy Malone but as a result of the exclusion, he was not permitted to play the part, which he had practised so long for and was looking forward to being part of. The fact the bullies won one more time, seems to have been the trigger that has changed Alex from a happy boy (albeit, coping with problems all the time) to a very unhappy boy, who rarely speaks and who has not left his house since that incident.

It is considered that the bullying incident has caused Alex to suffer from what’s known as OCD paralysis (obsessive compulsive disorder) - this is a rapid progressive disorder which started just after the exclusion incident. Not only would Alex no longer leave the house, he had deteriorated into abject fear and gloom and no longer slept in his bed but would sit on a chair in the dining room all day, all night. Needless to say, it has been very stressful time for the whole family – which one of us can be happy when we see our loved ones suffering in this way.

With the persistent love and determination of Alex's dad Russell, Alex was eventually referred to CAMS who made a recommendation to the Maudsley Hospital (Michael Rutters Centre) but it took six months to get to this stage and all the while Alex was deteriorating. A representative from CAMS was visiting Alex once a week but at this stage only to check that his health is not hugely deteriorating, no support was given to the mental trauma he was undergoing.

Alex has now been hospitalised at Maudsley Hospital since Thursday 14th September, where he awaits admittance to the Michael Rutter Centre who currently have no place for him. With the help of friends from the community, the family have managed to find a private specialist counsellor who has been seeing Alex twice weekly offering the sessions at a reduced rate, and we are hoping to raise funds cover the cost of these sessions to keep them going so that Alex has the support he needs until he can be admitted to Michael Rutters Centre. Each session costs £25.00 and any donations small or large would be very gratefully received.