Fears for future of autistic children as council pushes to mainstream them in school

Parents of autistic children in Glasgow have delivered a 1,000 signature petition to council chiefs saying their kids are suffering from lack of support.

Action group PACT for Autism previously held a protest outside the council headquarters over concerns about children on the high end of the autistic spectrum being pushed into mainstream schools.

Now a 1,089-signature petition is demanding that the local authority implement six changes that will improve education for these children.

All we want is for our children to be happy and to thrive within the education system - Sharon Burns

Parents say autistic children and young people are often excluded from school and activities.

This causes them and their parents to feel isolation and exclusion and promotes a divide.

They also raise concerns about autistic children being given “activities that are not suited to their development/functioning aptitude or ability and are often left doing odd jobs around the school”.

The petition states that this is: “having detrimental effects on our children putting their mental health at serious risk, most of them self-harming, threatening to kill themselves and running away as they are taken to school each day.”

Sharon Burns, who has an autistic son and is chair of PACT for Autism, said: "All we want is for our children to be happy and to thrive within the education system.

"Some of these children are very talented in many ways.

"But they must be given the help they need to thrive."

She added: "I feel there is still a lack of understanding about autism and the complexities of it - no two children are the same.

"We, as parents, know our children best and we know their triggers.

"Parents need to be more involved in developing educational plans for our children but instead many of us feel our views are dismissed.

"We are told we are being "over protective"."

Glasgow City Council hit back saying that all children, regardless of their additional needs, must register with a mainstream primary school as a matter of policy only.

A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said: “The rules of the public petitions committee are that if it covers the same subject as one considered within the last 12 months, it cannot be put forward.

“A full explanation of the standing orders of the committee and the decision reached is being sent to the person who submitted it.

“Glasgow has the most extensive provision in the country for children and young people with additional support need – with continual assessment throughout a child’s schools and targeting the individual needs pupils.

“The increase in specialist provision in the city over the last few years has also been welcomed by professionals and parents and the presumption of mainstream is national policy.”