A TEACHER who has helped an autistic child thrive in mainstream education has been put forward as children's champion of the year for her amazing work.
Jane Robinson, a special educational needs co-ordinator at Hoyland Common primary, has been nominated in the Proud of Barnsley awards by Kerry Thompson for helping her eight-year-old son William.
Kerry, of Baden Street, Worsbrough Bridge, said in her nomination that she, William and other pupils with special needs were 'very lucky' to have Mrs Robinson in their lives.
Until two years ago, Kerry said it had been a daily battle to get William to school and for him to be happy there.
She had considered home schooling him because no one seemed to understand him and it broke her heart to see him confused and crying.
She said when she first met Mrs Robinson she thought 'here we go again, another person who knows nothing about my son or understands autism'.
But she added: "She had read up on William, which was a big plus as I didn't have to start explaining everything about him again. Then she did the one thing no one else has ever asked me during school - she asked where I thought the problem was with each of William's triggers and how I thought was the best approach to it. I was taken aback a little."
