I am a taxi driver and for the past two years have taken an autistic child both to his school and the Palmeira Project five days a week.

When I first took the job I didn't really know what autism was and the way it affects children and their families.

During this time I have noticed a great improvement in the young man. He has become more settled and seems much more aware of what is going on around him, due without doubt to the expertise and stability he is receiving.

The closure of the project will cause a great deal of distress to the children who attend it. Even the slightest change in routine is a major problem for them and, unlike us, these children are unable to communicate their fears and gain reassurance.

We are constantly being told that children's welfare is paramount, but was this considered at all in making this decision?

Why was so much money invested in the project just a short time ago, only to have it close now? No one will benefit from this. Perhaps the council should reconsider, and really put the children's welfare first.

-M. Hudson, Wild Park Close, Brighton