A GREAT Yarmouth mum has spoken of her upset after her autistic son was asked to leave a karate class. Kyra Breen’s six-year-old son, Joseph, was asked to leave the class after only two minutes.

Kyra Breen’s six-year-old son, Joseph, was asked to leave the class after only two minutes.

“I took him and they said they would give him a go when there were five or six people there. He was excited and jumping up and down.

“The warm-up started and he ran around and then got in line and then someone came up to me and said they didn’t want to start shouting at him. It had only been two minutes.”

Miss Breen felt that Joseph had been discriminated against and he had not shown any sign of extreme autistic behaviour.

She told the Mercury: “She didn’t give him the opportunity to finish. They hadn’t even done the warm up. He was crying his eyes out and was screaming all the way back home. He thought he had done something wrong. I was upset and I went home and cried, I was emotional. I thought will anyone give him a chance?”

Miss Breen said Joseph’s autism, which is in the middle of the spectrum, causes him to sometimes scream when they go into town and he cannot cope with waiting.

She explained: “I took him to East Coast Black Belt School and told them the situation.

“Joseph was jumping up and down and was happy again. The new club didn’t dismiss him. Joseph did a lesson and they didn’t pull him out.

“Afterwards the owner said he would talk to her husband and see what they could do and when she rang me back 10 minutes later she said they were going to run classes for children with special needs. I feel like someone has given Joseph a chance.”

Tracey Webster, who runs East Coast Black Belt School in Suffolk Road, Yarmouth with her husband, Steve, said: “We have children with all different needs. We have some with aspergers and ADHD.”

Mrs Webster added: We have decided to open a class on Fridays for half an hour for children with special needs and w are going to give it a go. I thought it was only fair that we gave it a shot.”

She said that autistic children have a completely different need and they would probably have about three instructors in the class.

Mrs Webster said: “I know we have four children booked in for the first class. Kyra was so grateful, it humbles me.”