A mum from Glasgow has said that her autistic son’s acceptance into an additional support school was the “best news of her life”.
Jasmine Murphy believes she couldn’t guarantee her five-year-old son’s safety in a mainstream school.
Joshua was diagnosed with autism and learning delay from a young age and has now received a place at Drummore Primary School.
The 34-year-old mum says she built a file of supporting claims from when he was just 18 months old, as well as carrying out several assessments with different agencies to present to a panel that decided his educational future.
“Hands down, it was the best news that I’ve received in my life”, she told STV News.
“We were extremely fortunate to get him into a school that meets his needs.
“The better his education, the right support system, and the right nurturing at his young age, the better chance he has of a better life.
“I didn’t know which way it was going. I was so worried, extremely anxious, and really quite unwell. I just did everything I could to support his application.
“If he’s in the wrong environment and can’t cope, it could have gone the wrong way for him and our family and changed the trajectory for his life.
“I can’t guarantee that putting him in a mainstream school classroom would keep him safe; there is no way I could have put him into that environment.
“I would have had to quit my career and home-school him and pull together every resource I had. I would have been on my own, desperate for support.”
It comes after Audit Scotland accused ministers and councils of failing to effectively plan for the soaring number of pupils needing extra support in the classroom.
The definition of additional support needs can vary – they can include emotional and behavioural issues, autism, disabilities, dyslexia, and language support needs.
A report from the watchdog found that 40% of Scotland’s pupils receive some kind of ASL support, most of which is provided in mainstream classrooms.
However, the proportion in Scotland’s most deprived areas is almost double that of the least deprived areas – 46% compared to 27%.
Jasmine, from Scotstoun, now uses social media platform TikTok as a means to campaign for children and parents who find themselves in the “disgraceful position” she once did.
She said: “I have huge compassion and I try and engage with people who haven’t been successful just to help people appeal or reapply.
“It’s a huge networking opportunity. You can filter it down and target people in the same predicament.
“I think it’s disgraceful. What is the problem, and why are they so reluctant to invest in additional needs schooling?
“Is it because they won’t get a return on it?
“I just wonder what the reluctance is because people deserve an education.
“We want answers as to why we are fighting so hard to get a proper education.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “All children and young people should receive support to reach their full potential and should not face barriers to their learning.
“Scotland’s inclusive approach to education is enshrined in the Additional Support for Learning Act (2004) and has a broad consensus of support.
“The Scottish Government welcomes Audit Scotland’s report. Ministers will engage with Audit Scotland to consider its recommendations carefully alongside local authorities, who carry the statutory responsibility for Additional Support for Learning in our schools.
“Since the ASL (Scotland) Act was enacted in 2004 the number of pupils in schools with ASN has increased to 40%, which does present challenges.
“That’s why the 2025-26 budget includes an additional £29m for ASN, building on the record investment of over £1 billion spent by local authorities in the last year alone.
“It is encouraging that school leaver destinations for pupils with ASN are at near-record levels, and we are seeing record achievement through curriculum for excellence.”
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