Parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have told ITV News that they "feel completely let down" and "gaslighted by a broken system that’s weighted against them".
Extreme financial pressure on cash-strapped councils means some pupils with additional needs are being denied vital help.
A joint investigation by ITV News and The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) reveals the true scale of the SEND funding crisis; the financial black hole facing councils in England has exceeded £1 billion.
New data also shows that thousands of vulnerable children are travelling hundreds of miles to get to school, while others are not getting any education at all.
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