Each child is different. Each school is different. Each area is different.

The school that has autistic and severely dyslexic students saved Ben's life. It gave him *back* his life. He is now about to take his GCSEs and is looking forward to staying on to hopefully do A levels, depending on his results. He loves it there, is treated with respect and has learnt a great deal, not just about life, but about himself too.

Had he stayed in his mainstream state school, I have no doubt, and neither does his mother, that he would have ended his life, such was the misery and bullying.

As with all schools, it is the luck of the draw who you attend school with. You can either sail through it, surrounded by good people, or have the utter misfortune to be surrounded by unfeeling people who thrive on your problems, and who go out of their way to make your life hell.

There are great state schools. There are absolutely shitty ones.
There are great teachers. There are absolutely shitty ones.

And could someone please explain this to me...

IF autistic children have such a great time in mainstream schools, then WHY has The National Autistic Society themselves *chosen* to highlight the misery that so many of them suffer, due to lack of knowledge, empathy, sympathy and understanding in their 'Think Differently About Autism' campaign?

Don't listen to me, listen to the children themselves, on that video I posted above. They are the ones who are telling you what happened to them...and it makes my heart break...