07/05/2013 Newsnight Scotland

-- Russia. Iran is backing Hezbollah. We are seeing that kind

of staging ground. Thank you both huge surge in the number of people

-- children needing special help at school? One of them is young Jackie,

who has Asperger's syndrome. We will be hearing from his mother. We also

look at where we are in our understanding of disorders across

the spectrum of autism. Good evening.

What are we to make of the huge increase the number of children who

need specialist assistance in school? Official figures reveal that

in ten years, there has been a fourfold increase in such children,

which has led some of our children's charities to call for an enquiry

into whether that is all down better diagnosis or whether something else

is going on. I be discussing that with a panel of experts in a and

hearing about the most recent causes of autism. First, Andrew Black has

been speaking to the mother of a child with Asperger's syndrome.

This woman is like thousands of mothers across Scotland. Last year,

her son Jack Wall was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. It is an autism

spectrum disorder which can make it more difficult for him to fit in at

school and in the social situations. He got two year seven in school and

I was getting called up to the school a couple of times. Jack

wasn't fitting in and the school thought there was a problem. I asked

the school if they could get him referred to get a diagnosis. They

said no, it was a medical problem. I had... I went to the doctor and 18

months later, he was diagnosed. Autism causes problems with social

interaction, language skills and physical behaviour. To those with

the condition, the world can seem a chaotic place. Some people with

autism have very mild symptoms but others need round-the-clock care.

Its exact causes are not yet fully understood. So, Scotland wide, what

is the scale of the issue? According to government figures released to

the Conservative party, the number of pupils with additional support

needs rose to 38,000 between 2002 to 2008. Then the definition was

expanded to include youngsters who were getting extra help on a less

formal basis. Under those figures, the diggers rose from around 44,000

to 118,000, between 2009 and 2012. Now, a coalition of children's

organisations is asking if further investigation is needed. In a joint

newspaper letter published today, the groups recognised part of the

increase is down to greater awareness and changes in the way the

figures are collected. One of the letters signatories is Tom McGee,

from spark of genius, an organisation which provides support

for truth of autism. -- Spark of Genius. There is a pressured to keep

children within these environments for very good reasons. It is

probably something we should all applaud. There is also a funding

pressure because specialist educational resources and specialist

care provision costs a lot more than mainstream does but then again it is

specialist and you would expect that. That funding pressure is

something that should be part of the mix during any enquiry and it should

be considered. He says his aim is to unleash the potential in all young

people. The work of the children he has sought help is all over the

walls of his officers. Mr McGee says things have come a long way since

his time a teacher. The kind of approach a lot of teachers talk was

that autistic behaviour was being equated completely wrongly with

negative behaviours. It sounds a little bit foreign now and things

have greatly improved since then. Teachers are much more aware.

Anything which can give teachers more information and skills in

dealing with young people, more and more of whom are moving away from

the mainstream environment, has got We had seen a fourfold increase of

youngsters identified with additional support needs. With such

a dramatic rise, we have to ask the question, is this about better

recognition of the condition, about better record-keeping? Or, is there

something underlying going on in society which requires further

research, either environmental or medical factors are behind this

increase. It needs further investigation. The Scottish

Government launched its �40 million autism strategy in 2011, providing

a dropping service for those diagnosed with the condition and

more support workers. Since his diagnoses, Jack has continued in

mainstream school, and his mother says she is delighted with the

extra help. I think what will happen is he will get extra help at

exam time. He will get a scribe because of his poor handwriting

skills. He also gets distracted quite easily. He will get help with

that and that probably wouldn't have happened without the diagnosis.

Jack McLaughlin with his mum Norrina, ending that report from

Andrew Black. I'm joined now by Dr Robert Moffat,

he's the National Director of the National Autistic Society, Scotland.

And in Edinburgh we have Mig Cowp, she's the Head of Direct Help and

Support at the Moonroom Charity. And also Mark McDonald, an SNP, MSP,

who's young son has autism. Roberts, it might sound an odd

question, but what is autism? Are we talking a condition, an illness?

What? Good evening. I think it would be more accurately described

as a condition. It is a series, lifelong condition which can be

severely debilitating. It is Adebola mental condition, which

means expected brain development does not take place and the person

is left with severe challenges. In terms of autism, the challenges of

first and paces on difficulties would social communication, social

interaction, difficulties in thinking and behaving in a flexible

manner and compounding that, people with autism often have a severe,

adverse reactions to sensory stimuli. These are what we need to

sow should -- navigate the social world. It can make its

unpredictable, stressful and frightening. It is a condition, but

people talk about the spectrum, what does that mean? Each person

with autism is an individual, just like you or I. Sometimes autism has

an accompanying difficulty such as learning difficulties. Other times

people with autism can have no learning difficulties whatsoever

and have an extremely high IQ. What both ends of that spectrum possess

equally, it is the fact is I have just described, which is an extreme

difficulty in making sense of the social world, understanding what

people say. We don't often mean what we say and say what we mean.

We rely on body-language, facial expression and the rules of social

interaction on written but complex. Do you have this condition

yourself? No, I am talking about just basic... There is a

misconception which is reflected in that charity, somehow people with

autism are extremely talented at a certain thing. That can be the case,

but it is normal Mika case is it? Because of the spectrum ID you have

put forward that one end of the spectrum people with autism have

these difficulties in terms of social skills, they may also have a

lower IQ and learning disability or learning disabilities. But at the

other end of the spectrum you could have an IQ of 170. There is no

commonality and each person with autism displays these symptoms to

varying degrees. Mark McDonald, your son has autism, doesn't he?

Yes. Gold is he?He is 4 1/2? did his manifest itself? We started

to notice on his second birthday, some of the development that had

taken place up until the age of two, had started to regress. He stopped

waving, which was something he had done, some of the basic words he

had used stopped being used. It was at his two year check-up that the

health visitor agreed that there were perhaps signs that merited

further tests being undertaken and examining whether or not he was

autistic. And we received a diagnosis just prior to Christmas

2011, just after his third birthday we receive the diagnosis of autism.

How have you dealt with that on a day-to-day basis? Well, at the

moment a week don't know exactly where on the spectrum he is because

he is still very young. He is still non-verbal, so we communicate using

the picture exchange scheme, which is where he will use pictures to

request items and give an indication of things he will like.

There are some words which are coming through, and he is learning

some sign language. There is some signing he can do. The

communication aspect is probably the most difficult one we face at

the moment, because it can be very frustrating for him that he is not

always able to communicate his desires. And he cannot always tell

us if he is in pain. If he has a sore stomach or a sore head, it is

difficult for him to communicate that to us. What I have hopes for

him, that would be by example to go through the normal schooling

system? At the moment he is at the development will nursery in

Aberdeen. He was placed there following his diagnoses, he had

been placed in a mainstream nursery environment, but it was clear that

developments nursery was better. He has a place next year at Mile End

school in Aberdeen where he will get specifically additional classes

and also mainstream classes. But there is often times when you will

get the classes joining together, or children going into the

mainstream class, particularly if they demonstrate an aptitude for

something. It might be the mathematics, it might be some of

the ICT, so there is the opportunity. But we have obviously

been able to get a place, but I am aware there are some people who

went fortunately still don't find their child being placed in what

they fear would be the most appropriate environment. You help

schools deal with this sort of thing. Are we at this stage now

where this sort of descriptions that both Robert and Mark had given

us are sufficiently recognised within the institutions that

children enter? Can I just point out the charity is mind room, so we

get that right. It is a postcode lottery across Scotland, as to

whether children are put into an appropriate educational environment.

Some children have their needs recognised and met. Mandarin

supports parents and carers of children living with a broad range

of additional support needs. Not just autism. When you say your

postcode lottery, do you mean literally that, even within the

same local authority? Absolutely. Even within the same local

authority. A huge amount can be put down to a headteacher's

inspirational use of the resources they have. Or, we have other

schools where children with additional support Leeds may be

classed as they are not the worst in the class, so their needs are

not acknowledged or met. Do we know, Roberts, this apparent huge

increase in the number of children affected by autism and related

conditions, is this just that we are more sensitive to it and it is

being diagnosed? Or is it your belief it is something else? There

is a number of factors we need to take into account. There is for

instance, the developments of a more sophisticated diagnostic

method. There has been a recruitment and training of more

diagnostic technicians and also diagnostic units in Scotland. As

well as that, there is undoubtedly we think, a greater professional

and public awareness. So I think all of those factors... Does that

accounts for it? Some people are saying it may be that it is largely

accounted for by what you have just described, but it cannot be

entirely accounted by that and so my else must be going wrong,

something in the environment, something in the society? That

would require some form of research. Another factor we have to take into

account, if they go back 15, 20 years ago, it would be fair to say

the number of children and adults who were recorded were grossly miss

under represented a. Do you think there is something else going on,

or are we coming also unsuited in reporting these things? I think we

need to have an inquiry looking at this. Then there can be environment

it -- environmental factors. In 2000 late, we carried out a survey

which showed one in six children in Scotland showed an additional

support in need. These figures are not entirely news. There is a

difference in the way the Scottish Government records the figures now,

and the way schools... When you say an inquiry, an inquiry into what?

Let's have some true investigation into the data that is provided by

schools, about the children in schools. What are the additional

support it? How many have a diagnosis? Is the diagnosis of

autism, autism Specific? Are there also ADH deep traits within that?

It is rare for a condition to exist in isolation. Mark Mac Donald,

presumably an inquiry into what is causing an increase in orders and,

other than something like better reporting, is more a sign to be a

thing, some think the governments and politicians can get involved in.

But what about us that is normal inquiry along the lines we had just

mention? She makes an interesting point. There are a couple of things

to look at. If you expand the definition as the 2009 acted as to

what would be captured as additional support needs, then by

definition you will capture more people who need additional support.

If you put an emphasis into early diagnosis and intervention, you are

likely to pick up more children with autistic spectrum disorder.

These things will be a factor. If you look at the National autism

strategy, which is now feeding down into the development of local

strategies, it will help in terms of identifying support required by

individuals. As Roberts identified, autism is not something you can

lung everybody together with the. We are out of time. Thanks very

much. I will be back tomorrow. Until then,

The weather will change. A band of rain spreading north. It will

brighten up in Northern Ireland, England and Wales in the afternoons.

Bright spells but a fresher feel with a stronger breeze. The far

north of Scotland but with some warmth. Some bright spells, breezy

It stays unsettled as we go through the rest of the week. For Wednesday,

most of us will see a spell of rain. Another spell of rain coming

through from west to east for most parts of the UK during Thursday.

The difference on Thursday, there will be an even stronger wind. So