Thousands of parents looking for help with children with complex needs this summer are facing a postcode lottery of care.
Most rely on schools staying open during the holidays and organising activities for much-needed respite.
A Sunday Mail investigation has revealed that the number of summer classes laid on by councils for Scotland’s 233,000 children with physical and learning disabilities depends entirely on where they live.
National Autistic Society Scotland acting director Rob Holland said: “We hear daily from families who are working hard to raise and care for autistic children often with little or no support.
“The lack of services heaps further pressure on families and risks pushing them to breaking point. The availability of short break services should not be wholly reliant on where autistic children live.”
Most of the children, many disabled, cannot attend summer activities councils run for other children because of their complex needs.
We discovered Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Falkirk, Fife and Stirling councils have planned a range of activities but several others, including Perth and Kinross and Highland, have nothing.
Glasgow runs 21 schools.
The council told us it is up to individual schools if they want summer activities for pupils.
Last week parents of children at Isobel Mair School in Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire, learned a two-week summer session for all pupils was being axed.
The cut came as the Accounts Commission warned that these children do not get proper help.
East Renfrewshire Council usually extends the school year for two weeks into July to provide activities for 150 pupils.
But the number of children being offered summer places has been reduced to just 37 as part of a cost-cutting exercise.
A petition calling on East Renfrewshire to reverse its decision has already attracted more than 3600 signatures.
Mum Nicola Kerr, 52, said the cutback was a blow to under-pressure parents.
Her 17-year-old son Christie, who has Down’s syndrome and autism, has attended Isobel Mair for the last 10 years.
She said: “We’ve been told by the school that we’ll now have to find other services over the summer. But there are no such services for boys like Christie.
“The people who staff them are not qualified. The council is targeting the parents of complex needs children because we are an easy target.
“We are at breaking point every day – that is how it is with disabled kids.”
Karen McKeown, 34, from Bellshill, said there is no summer help for parents of autistic kids in North Lanarkshire. Her son Luke, 12, has ADHD and has suffered from PTSD since his dad’s death in 2017.
She pays for council- organised summer activities, none of which are geared towards children with additional needs.
She said: “The support for children with autism and complex needs in North Lanarkshire is shocking. There is a big postcode lottery. It is not right that there are summer activities for children in some areas but not others.”
East Renfrewshire Council said: “We understand the proposed change to structure of holiday provision at Isobel Mair will be difficult for those impacted.
"Unfortunately, like all councils, we continue to face extremely challenging financial pressures.”
North Lanarkshire Council said it was planning a six-week summer activity programme for children with complex needs at various venues.
Scottish Labour education spokesperson Michael Marra said: “These services are vital. They provide respite, advice and support for both parents and children.”
Willie Rennie, of the Scottish Lib Dems, said: “It’s disappointing the provision of support is so inconsistent across parts of Scotland.”
Meghan Gallacher, Tory shadow minister for children and young people, said: “Access to these services seems to be becoming a postcode lottery.”
The Scottish Government said: “We are investing £145.5million towards education staffing in 2022-23, representing the biggest increase to support teacher recruitment since 2007.”
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