THE mother of a severely autistic young girl says she will fight all the way to ensure her daughter gets the help she needs.

Charlotte Stocks, of Hilda Park, Chester-le-Street, says she has been trying for two-and-a-half years to get officials to write a Special Educational Needs (SEN) statement that she is happy meets the needs of her daughter Lydia, five.

Lydia, who attends a local primary school, needs one-to-one support as she has severe speech and language problems and is incontinent.

Mrs Stocks fears that funding for that support will not be available in future if the SEN Statement does not fully outline her individual needs.

But she is unhappy with the statements produced by Durham County Council officials and is taking the dispute to an external tribunal that will be held next month.

“All I want is the perfect statement for Lydia that is updated every six months and reports on her progress," she said.

“They should be addressing the concerns of a child with special needs, but the statements we have received are not specific to Lydia’s needs.

“If she doesn’t get help with her speech language she can’t develop her learning because she can’t talk.”

Mrs Stocks, a self-employed cleaner, who with husband Lee has an eight-year-old son, said she would continue to fight to get am SEN statement that fully reflects Lydia’s situation and would go all the way to 10 Downing Street.

“I am not going to back down," she said.

Caroline O’Neill, Durham County Council’s head of education, said: “Although the council is unable to comment on individual cases, we work hard to ensure that all children can make the most of their education and receive the appropriate help and support.

“Special educational needs (SEN) statements are based on the input of several different organisations in addition to the family and updated regularly. “Where all parties cannot fully agree over the most appropriate course of action, families can choose to go to tribunal.

“From September 2014, SEN statements are gradually being replaced by Education, Health and Care Plans in line with new legislation which allows for much more collaboration between the school, council and health and care specialists as well as including more detailed information on how children’s special educational needs will be met.

“Unfortunately we are unable to progress with transfers to Education, Health and Care Plans if there are outstanding appeals to tribunal for individual cases.”