West Lothian mum of two boys with ASN says kids are being 'failed' by system

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A mum who has two boys with learning and emotional issues says more needs to be done to help children in West Lothian with additional support needs.Georgina Cassar Brewster has backed a campaign that is demanding reform to the ASN education system and was part of a group of angry parents who protested in Livingston last month, saying their children had been failed.They descended on the Civic Centre in Livingston with placards and banners as part of the ASN Reform Scotland campaign, which has also seen a petition launched and signed by over 18,000 people.Campaigners say more specialist schools and support teachers are needed and in many cases mainstream schooling is not in the best interest of an ASN child.They also say mainstream teachers aren’t trained properly in dealing with youngsters who have complex needs and there are insufficient spaces and unacceptable waiting times for special education school spaces.Georgina knows all too well the immense hurdles that face parents seeking help for their children as she has boys who have struggled in mainstream education.

She’s mum to Ruaridh (7), Brogan (13) and Michael (18) and says she is speaking out so that no other family has to endure what her family has.Michael has ASD and ADHD, Brogan also has these conditions plus many more complex issues – although has now been finally placed in a “wonderful specialist school” – and Ruaridh has speech and sound communication difficulties.Georgina said son Michael is out of work as he can’t cope with being in the community and has low mood depression and anxiety.And despite raising concerns with health professionals, Ruaridh wasn’t referred to speech and language services until he was three years old.He is receiving speech therapy,