At the end of a long sheet of paper that tells in drawings and words of Lewis Mitchell’s journey from birth through school, dark days of depression shut in his room and sleepless nights and days alienated from the world, is his dream.
“To have friends,” it says. “A place of my own. To find love”.
It was written not long after he arrived at Donaldson’s in Linlithgow, West Lothian to join JunX10n, a new service aimed at supporting young people like him.
Now, just a few months on, he has already taken giant steps towards seeing those simple dreams come true.
“I went years without talking to people,” he says. “I stopped going to school at 13. I didn’t want to go outside – even now I don’t want to. Seven years of my life went down the drain.”
He was diagnosed with autism at 12 and suffers from non-24 sleep wake disorder. Most people’s sleep patterns revolve around a 24-hour circadian rhythm, but Lewis, 20, might sleep all day and stay awake all night, or just not sleep at all for up to three days at a time.
It meant that while his fellow mainstream school pupils were studying and achieving grades, Lewis struggled. Eventually he retreated to his bedroom and rarely ventured out - for years.
Today, however, he’s telling how he now spends hours chatting with fellow JunX10n students. He bursts into speaking Japanese; another dream is to live in Japan.
There are similar stories of remarkable successes among the 37 young people aged from 15 to 23 who attend JunX10n, created by Donaldson’s as it evolved from a school focused on supporting children with hearing difficulties – and slightly bruised after a damning 2014 inspection - into an establishment for young people with a range of special needs.
Launched in 2016, JunX10n has proved so effective at encouraging young people with a range of neurological issues to break out of isolation, self-harm and suicidal thoughts – negative behaviour which in some cases is thought to be partly linked to unhappy days in mainstream schools - that the model is set to roll out across Scotland.
It comes as the notion of placing children with additional support needs in mainstream schools has come under the spotlight: the number of pupils identified as having ASN is at its highest ever level, while the number of specialist teachers has dropped. Concern is rising over the quality of support for young people with conditions such as autism and Asperger’s, classroom disruption and teachers’ stress.
Last year ENABLE Scotland claimed 52 per cent of pupils who have a learning disability do not feel they get the right support at school, while 78 per cent of education staff said there was inadequate additional support for learning staff in their schools.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Government’s Guidance on the Presumption of Mainstreaming, is currently out for consultation.
“We found many young people were coming and saying mainstream school wasn’t working, they were finding it difficult to cope in the mainstream environment,” says Donaldson’s Trust CEO Laura Battles.
“But they still wanted something to get up for in the morning.
“An inclusive environment is fine and will work for some young people with additional needs,” she adds. “But for those with complex needs it’s much more difficult to cope in mainstream.
“The focus in school is on attainment. Our focus is on seeing young people’s confidence grow and them become more resilient.”
JunX10n’s service manager Billy Anderson often hears young people tell harrowing stories of being bullied at mainstream schools or grouped with other children with different neurological problems and needs. That, he says, can create tension and stress that simply fuels further withdrawal.
“Time and again we were coming across young people almost falling through the cracks in the linear structure of the school system,” he explains. “It’s not that the system is broken, it just doesn’t work for everyone.
“These young people think differently, they find it hard to follow a straight line that means they have to be in class at a certain time with groups of peers. They don’t go to school because their anxiety levels are too high. They were almost invisible.
“We provide a safe space for people just to relax away from that structure in a low-pressure environment with no demands.”
Around a quarter of young people who are referred to the service through mental health services, social workers or schools, have self-harmed, had suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide. Some have an autism or Asperger’s diagnosis, others suffer from chronic anxiety. In many cases, adds Anderson, the first they have spoken in detail about their diagnosis is when the story of their life is being turned into a poster. It serves as a visual reminder of why they’re there and what they want to achieve.
Once settled, they can take part in science experiments and work towards a Good Laboratory Practice certificate, refine computer skills, develop art and creative subjects, or expand their knowledge of English and maths. Some apply for further education courses and jobs, but staff are just as happy to see previously withdrawn young people forge friendships or become more independent.
Callum Johnston, 20, is typical of many Junx10n students. He was diagnosed with autism and placed in a mainstream secondary school only to struggle with the structure and demands of school life.
“I felt bored and exhausted. It made me a bit unhappy,” he says. “I like coming here because it has people like me.”
He is now learning electronic sequencing and creating his own graphic novel. He has also started to travel independently – a major advance, says Anderson.
Most have a similar story. “I was bullied at high school,” says Ezzie Ozola, 18, who has autism and psychosis. “Everyone thought it was funny. They said mean things to me and it made me embarrassed.
“I liked science but the boy who bullied me was in my class. I left school and didn’t know where I would go next.”
She is now planning to go to college. “I used to be shy,” she says. “But I’m not shy now.”
And what of her own dreams? They are similar to many of the young people who arrive at JunX10n – and most other young people. “I would like to have a family,” she says. “Have a job, and lots of friends.”
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