A TWO-YEAR-OLD boy suffering from a rare condition has said his first words after his mother won her fight to get him a nursery place.
In July we reported how George Lettington, from Limpsfield, had been rejected by nurseries in Reigate and across Kent despite suffering from autism and Angelman syndrome, which can slow the progress of some children in areas such as speech and language, and social or emotional skills.
At the time Brooklands School and Nursery, in Reigate, the Phoenix Centre, in Bromley, and another Kent nursery all agreed that George would benefit from being in a special nursery but were unable to offer a place.
His mother Karen, 41, of Sylvan Close in Limpsfield, has been fighting to get him a place in a nursery that can give him the help he needs and the chance of going to a primary school in the future.
Now her efforts have paid off. George has been given a place at Brooklands – and just a month into his time there he said his first words: "go" and "more".
Mrs Lettington, a teacher, said: "We're much more positive now about his future than we were six months ago.
"He's in the right environment to achieve his best and everything's much more positive now."
As well as getting the educational assessment he needs for his development, George – who was also diagnosed with epilepsy over the summer – is now able to rely on specialist staff at Brooklands.
This proved vital when he suffered his first full seizure while at school.
Mrs Lettington added: "It just shows the right environment makes a difference.
"There was a specialist nurse there who could help him. When it happened the school called me and told me what happened. I said I would come and pick him up but it wasn't necessary because they knew how to look after him."
George is also able to take advantage of special physical equipment at the school including a walking frame, which his mother is sure will one day allow him to walk on his own.
She said: "He's doing really well and I'm really pleased. We're delighted he has a place at the nursery. They'll be able to look at his needs educationally and see what he needs to progress.
"He's always going to need help so all the help we can get now will only benefit him later on."
Mark Bryant, head teacher at Brooklands School said: "We are really happy to have George with us and benefiting from being in the nursery.
"We will continue to work closely with Mrs Lettington to ensure that George gets every opportunity to enjoy and achieve while he is with us."
