A mother has called for greater help for parents who choose to look after handicapped children.

Jacqueline Lawson is at the end of her tether because she says not enough is being done to help look after children such as her son.

Mother-of-five Mrs Lawson and her husband, Barry, have brought up their autistic son, also called Barry, with limited help from social services.

But they are now finding it increasingly difficult to cope with their youngest son, who is fast becoming a man.

Barry, 14, has autism, causing severe learning disabilities.

He also has a bowel problem that requires treatment at The Royal Free Hospital in London. He has to wear a nappy due to having no bowel or bladder control.

He lives with his parents at their home in Gladstone Road, Portslade, along with three of their other children.

They have support for Barry for a two-day period every seven days, when he goes into a respite care centre in Drove Road, Portslade. But when he is at home, they have to provide him with 24-hour care.

Barry does not speak and has the energy of a toddler.

Mrs Lawson, 45, struggles to change his nappy and has to chase him round as he constantly runs about.

She asked Brighton and Hove Council to pay for four days' respite care for Barry but the council has said it cannot offer any more.

She has been told the care levels may even be cut for some other children using the unit because of staff illness.

Mrs Lawson said: "We love him so much but it's becoming more and more difficult.

"At least when he was younger, I could pick him up and take him away from whatever he was up to.

"But now he eats things he shouldn't and has broken televisions by throwing them."

Barry has had to leave three schools in just a few years because they could not cope with him.

He now attends a special school in Eastbourne, travelling there every day. But even when he is receiving respite care, up to three people are needed when he is taken out because he is so demanding.

Mrs Lawson wants social services to recognise the band of silent parents who work so hard to look after their handicapped children but need support.

She said: "I love my child but once he becomes an adult, we will probably get no support.

"By law they have to give us support while he is still considered a child but, once he is at school-leaving age, we could be left alone to cope."

Mrs Lawson said she and her husband felt penalised for choosing to keep their son at home with them as part of their family.

She said: "It's the most awful situation because it's not Barry's fault.

We can't cope with the son we love. I'm very, very frightened for the future and what will happen."

She has written to Hove MP Ivor Caplin appealing for help and believes more money should be pumped into social services.

A council spokesman said: "We are very sympathetic to the difficulties the Lawsons face in looking after Barry and are aware of the commitment the family has shown to him.

"The package of care Barry receives, eight days per month on average, is one of the biggest the centre gives to any child.

We also arranged extra care in September so the family could have a holiday.

"Barry has an outreach session every day he is not at school or at Drove Road and the council has provided an extension to the family home to rearrange the living space and make caring for him easier.

"There is a national shortage of specialist staff for centres such as Drove Road and we are unable to recruit sufficient staff to increase the service."

He said the council's children and families' service spent more than £2m on care for severely disabled children each year.

He said: "We have told the Lawsons we are unable to do any more at present but that Barry remains a priority for additional support when extra care time becomes available."