Braxton and Nell

‘In primary school the boys would invite [Braxton] to “play” but he would become the ball target and the boys would deliberately throw the ball at his head as part of their game.’

Braxton’s mum, Nell, told the Royal Commission that Braxton is traumatised by the bullying, abuse and neglect he experienced at school in the late 1990s. Braxton has autism.

Braxton’s first school was a regional mainstream primary school. He had trouble socialising and completing tasks, and would wander around the classroom unsure what to do. The teacher told Nell that Braxton was a distraction and moved his desk to the back far corner of the classroom. She faced it towards the window, away from the rest of the class.

In year 3, frustrated by school’s inability to teach or support Braxton, Nell moved him to a school with a special education unit.

‘What followed in the beginning was a gradual transformation in his abilities, with the introduction of one-on-one support in the special education room. For the first time he began to learn letters, read for the very first time, he also began to write and spell words including understand the basics of math.’

However halfway through year 4, the headmaster told Nell there wasn’t enough room in the special education class.

Braxton moved to a mainstream class and experienced constant physical and verbal bullying. He hated going to school and Nell couldn’t get the school to do anything. It was a very difficult time for them.

One day two students attacked Braxton while he was waiting inside the school grounds. They bashed him with his school bag and whipped him on his back and legs with an electrical cord. When he got home his sister had to scoop handfuls of water down his back to remove his shirt which was stuck to his back with dried blood.

Nell went to the police. They told her to talk to the school.

‘The two boys were eventually made to apologise to [Braxton], and I was informed that their fathers were to “deal” with them which involved them both missing cricket practice and a game as this was hard for them as they loved cricket.’

When Braxton eventually returned to school he was frightened and anxious. ‘He refused to leave the house to go to the shops, the local pool … the park or any public place for fear of seeing these bullies or any children.’

Nell moved him to a private school but the bullying continued. Eventually she moved him to the same school as his sister.

The new school was supportive, but Braxton was traumatised. He washed his hands constantly and couldn’t tolerate his uniform or school bag touching anything. He spent large amounts of time hugging the goalposts on the oval. The only person who could persuade him to let go was his sister.

Boys invited Braxton to play soccer but all he could do was hug the goalposts.

‘[Braxton] could not distinguish the difference between the genuine invites these boys now offered and the previous traumatic ones … the invites eventually stopped.’

Nell encouraged Braxton to attend counselling and they visited a psychiatrist together, but he couldn’t talk about what happened to him.

Braxton refused to go to school and Nell paid for private tuition hoping he would return.

He completed year 10 at home but has been unable to attend any further education. ‘He just could not bring himself to attend school anymore and I couldn’t bring myself to force him.’

Braxton recently suffered a major breakdown. Nell said he was crying remembering the bullying and lack of supports. ‘They didn’t teach me anything. I was never taught anything,’ he said.

Nell says Braxton is a ‘bright, highly intelligent adult individual’.

‘[He] could have had the opportunity to succeed with his disability diagnosis of autism to achieve a bright future for himself had the circumstances been different.’