You report how desperate Wendolyn Markcrow had become in caring for her son Patrick 24/7 (Oxford Mail, November 3).

This is mirrored by thousands of families thoughout the country.

As a parent of a 14-year-old daughter with the same conditions as Patrick, I fully understand how she finally could not cope any longer, and that the help that she required was not given by her local social services.

I have been battling with Oxfordshire social services for a care package with which my daughter is happiest, but as with Mrs Markcrow, staff don't seem to understand that we know our children best and that we know how help is best given for us to get the best out of the small breaks we get.

County councils have got to stop using our children as political levers, work with the Government and start to provide care for those thousands of families in the country like Mrs Markcrow and me. The love for our children is just the same as any other parent with children, but most parents know that their children will finally leave home and go on to live independent lives of their own, whereas for our children, it is for life.

Gary Pritchard, St Nicholas Road, Wallingford