MY brother was diagnosed with autism in his early childhood and received special education and care.

Reading about the planned closure of the Lea Castle Centre interests me because my brother resided there from 1996 to 2005.

He benefited from the care services there after he developed a severe case of catatonia as a complication of autism.

Following a short period of hospital treatment, he moved to Lea Castle where he made a full recovery.

My family is grateful to the services provided at Lea Castle, but he should have moved to a residential environment once he had recovered.

The new government policies of the past 10 years have ensured my brother's care continues to improve.

He has thrived in a care home environment and we can now envisage a time when he could live more independently with appropriate support.

These changes are welcomed by our family and we are thankful to all the individuals who have worked towards a better quality of life for people with learning disabilities.

My appeal is to the social workers and mental health professionals who are irrationally resistant to implementing these improved services.

Please make the transition to a better quality of life as easy as possible for the service users and their families.

Closing the Lea Castle site and relocating the residents is the best decision.

The process of relocating the hundreds of service users began more than five years ago.

If my brother had moved from Lea Castle sooner, he would have had four years head start on the improvements he has made to date.

Institutionalisation creates its own set of problems, which people with learning disabilities can well do without.

Unnecessary delays by the local authority do not benefit the Lea Castle residents. The service provider should aim to put the needs of service users before the convenience of its employees.

M WOODHALL College Hill Sutton Coldfield