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Marvin McKenzie's greatest wish is to see his seven-year-old son Marvando, who lives with autism, enrolled in the special education system.

The 41-year-old single father of two, who hails from Somerset, St Thomas, said Marvando completed basic school and was accepted into a primary school. But on the first day of the term last September, McKenzie was called to the school as teachers said Marvando was disturbing the other students.

"Him very bright, enuh. Him can do him work but him can't keep steady. If I had a 'shadow' [someone to monitor him], then him can go school but I don't have any. His doctors said him need to go school like now. Him also have epilepsy and on medication, but it nuh bother him that much now. Mi want him go school too because him bright," McKenzie said.

He said that he has been single-handedly raising Marvando since he was about three years old. He said his son is in need of constant attention.

"Right now him deh outside sidung a dig up the dirt. Mi can't take mi eyes off him or he will stray away. Mi can't leave him with any and anyone, suh mi a tell yuh say is a whole heap a stress on mi sometimes," he said.

McKenzie, who mostly does construction work, has to take Marvando with him to work sometimes.

"Mi have to put him where I can see him. Sometimes mi get some work and mi can't take them on either because I can't take him with mi. Sometimes in the nights when him and him bredda gone sleep, mi go hussle and wash two cars suh mi can get some money. Mi have a neighbour who will give an eye sometimes because she understand him," McKenzie added.

McKenzie, who is also the father of a five-year-old, said it took him a little while to notice that Marvando was different from other children. He began to notice the signs when he was a toddler and carried him to get medical attention. A series of examinations revealed that he was autistic.

"When him mother use to tell mi that something was wrong with Marvando, mi never use to see it, but when him was about three mi realise say him would put every little thing in his mouth. He wouldn't stay still and him would do some other little things. After a whole heap a tests, the doctors say him autistic," he said.

He said that since Marvando's diagnosis, he has spent a pretty penny on treatments but getting him enrolled in a suitable institution weighs heavily on his head.

"Fi mi leave him fi stay with somebody a go make mi really sceptic in a way, because him nuh get along with other children and mi nuh want anyone abuse him. Mi nuh want him to go into any [state] homes or suh because mi nuh want nothing to do him. Mi would want to get him in a school where him can board and mi go look for him every week," he said.