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Parenting goals
Melanie Sykes and ex-husband appear in public for the first time together to talk about struggles with autistic child
The TV presenter and ex Daniel Caltagirone talk candidly about the daily challenges they face
MELANIE Sykes and her ex-husband put on united front today to talk to This Morning about the struggles they face with their autistic child.
The pair talked honestly and openly with Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby about the daily challenges they have to deal with.
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The divorced couple, who split in 2009, came across as though they have a good relationship, and looked happy to be in each other’s company as they talked about their son Valentino.
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Their eldest child was diagnosed with autism in 2006 when he was just two years old and had thrived in a mainstream primary school but problems arose when he started at an academy in London last September.
They used the interview with Holly and Phil as a way of highlighting what they felt was wrong with the school system.
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They explained that because they 12-year-old son has “high functioning autism” they are finding it hard to find him a school, after he was recently asked to leave a main stream academy.
Melanie said: “We’ve been to see a lot of schools, and it’s been very depressing really.
“We’ve been down all the right avenues, we’ve been to see all the schools in our borough.
“But some of the provisions for autistic children has just been hellish really.”
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The couple clearly still have a good relationship, and at various points in the interview they looked to each other for support as they talked about the sensitive subject that was close to their hearts.
When asked by Phil how they had managed to remain such good friends even though they were no longer together, Daniel replied: “Parents should always put their difference aside for their children.”
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The couple even laughed with Holly and Phil at the beginning of the interview when Melanie pointed out that they hadn’t worn matching outfits on purpose.
She joked: “Can I just say we didn’t colour coordinate outfits today!
“I got in the car and I was like ‘Oh no! We look like we phoned each other and said what you wearing?’”
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