THE number of children in Scottish schools needing extra support due to autism has risen by 15 per cent to almost 10,000 in just one year, new figures show. In 2013, 9,946 students were listed as having “additional support needs” in Scotland due to autistic spectrum disorder – up 1,296 from 8,650 in the previous year. Overall the number of pupils needing extra help in class due to a wide range of problems, including speech and language disorders and other disabilities, rose 11.5 per cent from 118,034 in 2012 to 131,621 last year. Concerns are now being raised about whether schools and teachers are properly equipped to cope with increases in children needing additional help with their studies, amid calls for further investigations into why numbers are rising at such a rate.
The Scottish Government said increased awareness and better detection of problems such as autism were behind the rising numbers listed as needing extra support in schools.
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability, affecting how someone communicates and relates to other people and the world around them.
As it is a spectrum disorder, the severity of its effects vary widely from person to person, with some people able to live relatively independent lives while others with a range of learning disabilities need a lifetime of specialist support.
Source: Scotsman, May 2014
http://www.scotsman.com/news/education/autistic-pupils-puts-pressure-on…
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