The mother of a 15-year-old boy with special needs has spoken of the "constant battle" she fights to ensure her son receives the education he deserves.

Mother of four Diane Buckett, from Headington, Oxford, said her son - whom she asked us not to name - has been excluded from Oxford Community School at least five times this year.

She claims, on some occasions, it is "simply because staff do not understand his condition".

The teenager suffers from autistic spectrum disorder and dyspraxia, which means he struggles to interact and communicate with others.

Mrs Buckett contacted the Oxford Mail after reading the plight of Jennifer King and her five-year-old son, who suffers from the same condition. Miss King suggested her son was being treated no better than "an animal in a zoo".

Now Mrs Buckett is warning Miss King - and all parents of children with special needs - that they face tough times unless more is done to ensure mainstream schools have the staff and facilities to cater for special needs pupils.

She said: "The problem won't go away until more staff in mainstream schools are able to cope. The school tries hard, but it just does not have the resources needed. I don't blame them, they do try, but they're just not coming up with the results.

"It is a constant battle to try to get the help my son needs. Everything is a battle."

She said although he had excluded from school at least five times in the past year, on half of these occasions. it was not his fault. He was diagnosed with the condition at the age of 10.

Mrs Buckett said: "Some of the staff are not adequately trained to cope and they simply do not understand his condition."

Her son now follows a reduced timetable which sees him attend normal lessons but not for full days and he is about to go on study leave ahead of his GCSEs.

She said: "My son should be having five hours of learning support a week, but there just aren't the staff to provide this.

"The knock-on effect is children with special needs falling behind with their studies. It's his GCSE year this year, so it's vital this doesn't happen.

"My daughter is having to help him with his homework and she's providing the sort of help the school should, which is disgraceful really."

She added: "My son is a bright boy. When he went on a work placement to a garage, they couldn't speak highly enough of him. If special needs children get the right treatment, they can excel."

Simon Adams, of Oxfordshire County Council's children and young people unit, said: "We believe Oxfordshire provides excellent support services for special needs."