Two-thirds of Scotland's 32 local authorities reduced their ASN teachers between 2010 and 2014, according to figures published after a Parliamentary question by Labour MSP Siobhan McMahon. Overall, the total fell from 3,363 to 2,963, with cuts of up to a third in Aberdeenshire, the Highlands and Western Isles.
The Scottish Children's Services Coalition (SCSC), which supports children with complex needs and their carers, says one in five of the school population – 140,524 pupils – are identified as having ASN, of whom 62 per cent are boys. These include autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and dyslexia.
"The fact that the number of additional support for learning teachers has reduced by 12 per cent since 2010 is deeply disturbing, especially as we know the great benefits to be gained through early detection and intervention," an SCSC spokesman said.
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