Moray mother tells of autistic son hitting ‘rock bottom’ after Moray Council cut pupil support assistant funding
A mother whose autistic and dyslexic son “hit rock bottom” after Moray Council cut the number of pupil support assistants has called for the changes to be reversed.
The mum, who wants to remain anonymous, said that for three years her son asked her each day: “Why am I so thick? Why am I stupid? Everyone else seems to get it. I just want to kill myself.”
Her son attends a primary school in Moray which used to have three full-time pupil support assistants (PSAs).
Due to his autism, the woman’s son requires extra support to help him understand instructions and keep on task.
However, the mum argued that cuts left her son without the right support, since PSAs play a vital part in supporting children with additional support needs (ASN).
“They've cut the support right where it's most needed,” she said.
“It's like they know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
“Yes, it's a cost to have these pupil support assistants, but what's the cost to that pupil's self-esteem who thinks: ‘I'm not worth it.’
“They're that buffer zone. They're that early intervention which makes the child feel listened to and makes the child feel heard.”
She also said that, since the cuts came in, work previously done by PSAs has been pushed onto the remaining members of staff leaving the school in “crisis”.
“Our existing PSAs are on their knees, the teachers are on their knees, the headteachers are on their knees, they're being asked to do things with both hands tied behind their backs,” the mother added.
For her son, she said, the absence of PSAs meant he could not see where he was going wrong.
In the end, change happened only after the situation came to a climax prompted by the comment her son made about suicide.
However, after Moray Council brought in an exchange counselor and the boy moved up a year in school “he did two years worth of learning in six months,” his mum added.
“That's how bright he is and how quickly he came on. Just because somebody took the time to listen to him and hear him.
“It wasn't that they hadn't tried helping us before, because they had, but they just hadn't realised how much his self esteem had been affected.”
In response to the mother’s story, a Moray Council spokesperson said they could not discuss specific cases.
However, they added, the levels of teacher and PSA staffing in Moray schools are reviewed every year based on the number of children with ASN.
As a result, they said that “some schools may receive an increase in staffing, while others may see a decrease”.
“Where a reduction in support staff has taken place, it reflects a decrease in the level of identified need within that school,” they added.
“Teachers are responsible for planning and delivering learning to ensure that pupils continue to make progress.
“Head Teachers manage their support staff allocation to ensure they are focused on working with identified children and groups to support any gaps in learning.”
Moray does not have a specific school which specialises in teaching children with ASN but instead opts to integrate pupils in mainstream education, with more specialised facilities available within schools.
The mum said she agrees with this approach, but added that proper support and staffing for ASN pupils is needed.
She also said it helped neuro-typical children understand how people with ASN experience the world and overcome difficulties.
“Being in that class is good, it's good for him to know that he's part of society and he can function in that society,” she said.
“But there needs to be units attached to it and they need to be properly funded.
“They need to be properly staffed and they're not.”
The inadequate support available in schools for pupils with ASN means parents have to find a way to take up the slack, she added.
She said that, as well as giving up their time to help in schools, parents are having to pay to help their children learn.
Children with ASN can sometimes require specialised equipment, like headphones, sensory tools and reading and writing assistants.
However, she said that financial pressures mean health and care bodies cannot always afford to provide this - leaving parents to buy this vital equipment.
“Everybody's either on universal credit or minimum wage,” the mum added.
“They're choosing to heat or eat. Are they honestly going to be able to afford to buy a £100 pen reader?”
In response, Moray Council said schools were provided a devolved budget for “essential learning resources” and were in charge of how it is spent.
“It is the responsibility of each school to prioritise spending based on the specific needs of the pupils enrolled at that time, ensuring that resources are directed to where they are needed most,” the spokesperson added.
Asked whether parents were having to mitigate the impact of cuts to staffing, a spokesperson for Moray Council said parents were used as volunteers in school for a range of reasons.
“Schools often involve parents as helpers for a number of reasons, not solely because of staffing levels,” the spokesperson added.
“Teacher allocations are determined by pupil numbers, and classes are organised accordingly.
“Support staff allocations are based on the level of need within each school.
“When teachers are absent, supply teachers are brought in, and schools also have the option to use relief support staff, funded through their own budgets, to cover temporary gaps.”
The mum added that her son is getting ready to start secondary school next year and that the family has high hopes for him.
But, she said, a “big cloud” was looming over the family over whether he will receive the right support in a new school - or whether further budget cuts could hamper her son’s inspiring progress.