Mel: Time for change
MELANIE Sykes has called for the school system to be overhauled so autistic pupils don’t “waste” their childhoods.
The TV presenter, who this week revealed she has autism, said: “Learning shouldn’t be just sitting in a class and being forced to learn algebra or French when your brain doesn’t work like that. What a waste of your childhood.
“It crowbars you into a certain way of thinking and being. If you don’t fit the bill, you get left behind.
“I can’t read a number over five digits. There’s no way doing maths every day would’ve changed that.”
Mel, 51, whose youngest son also has autism, said her diagnosis explained why she had previously struggled with auditions and presenting roles.