(Scotland) 43% of students have special needs; only a fraction get SPED support
- The end of childhood
- 10 hours ago
- 2 min read
Jan 22, 2026, The Courier: KIRSTY MCINTOSH: I’m horrified by backlash against Angus school autism unit plan
When my son was diagnosed as autistic in October 2021, we were handed a resource pack prefaced with a poem.
Welcome to Holland is, to my mind, a twee little piece but it contains a core truth of needing to enjoy where you have landed rather than mourning where you expected to be.
In the years since that watershed appointment have come both highs and lows.
One particular low was the day that we were told he would be offered a place at a mainstream school – despite being at that point being non-verbal.
Thankfully we appealed and won a place at a small specialised ASN unit attached to another mainstream school.
But our story is far from unusual.
‘I was horrified’
In 2025, 43.0% of all pupils (299,445 individuals) had an additional support need (ASN), yet according to Scottish Government statistics just 8,089 of those are in special education.
And since 1996 the number of special schools – which include units within mainstream schools – has fallen by 32%.
But despite the rise in demand and the falling availability, parents in Angus opposed the proposed addition of new ASN spaces, which would save children from having to travel to other council areas, as well as potentially freeing up spaces for children in those regions.
They fear the proposed locations would become a “dumping ground”.
When I first read the headline, I honestly thought the objections would be coming from the parents of autistic children.
Maybe the facilities wouldn’t be suitable for the needs of autistic children? Maybe they worried they wouldn’t be safe?
So I was horrified to see that the objections were from parents of other children at the proposed locations, apparently fearing “an increase in violent incidents.”
These are children with a disability, not criminals.
Seeking to characterise them as some form of delinquent does nothing to erase a stigma the community has been slowly shedding. . . .
I’m not so naïve as to think children lashing out doesn’t happen, but this can be managed far better (including heading them off completely) in a specialist setting with an appropriate staffing levels than in mainstream classes.
In the same week as Angus parents demonised vulnerable children, there was much fanfare elsewhere over the launch of “Autistic Barbie”.
So on one hand we have something intended to aid autistic kids in gaining the same educational opportunities as everyone else being blocked by adults, and on the other we have a mainstream toy introduced with the intention of providing the community with representation.
Maybe there’s another core truth here: Everyone is inclusive until it means actually making room for autistic children.
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