FAMILIES will be forced from their homes if a Scottish council cuts help for children with disabilities, according to parents.

Classroom help for pupils with autism and a range of other conditions will be slashed by 45 per cent under plans put forward by Argyll & Bute Council as it attempts to make up to £26 million worth of cuts between 2016 and 2020.

A list of 145 targets for cuts has been released for public consultation and opponents say many of the proposed savings areas directly target vulnerable youngsters.

Now parents say the impact will be so severe that it may force them to move their families from the area in search of the support their children need.

The prospect is another blow to the area, which is already struggling with a declining population. The local authority has previously stated its determination to increase the number of residents.

Self-employed gardener Fiona Cowan moved to Argyll and Bute from the Highlands at the start of the school term in order to access better help for seven-year-old son Thomas, who has autistic spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Now the single mother-of-two says she may be faced with another move if the council goes ahead with plans to reduce additional support needs (ASN) assistants in local schools by 45 per cent.

Thomas, who is in mainstream schooling, currently receives one-to-one support at all times. Cowan, from Oban, said: “Thomas has no emotional recognition at all. He’s very aggressive, he has a history of hitting other children, lashing out, biting. It’s primarily a safety issue for him.

“There’s a lot of support available in Argyll and Bute that wasn’t in the Highlands, which is one of the main reasons we moved here.

“I’m not the only person who moved into the area because of the available support and I wouldn’t be the only one to leave.

“We want our children to achieve their potential.

“Thomas requires constant supervision. He can’t read facial expressions, he can’t interact appropriately with other children.

“The proposal of putting him in a mainstream classroom without that support is untenable.”

Tina MacGillivray’s son Innes has a rare chromosome disorder known as 48xxyy syndrome, which causes physical, neurological and mental symptoms, including communication problems and mood swings.

The Oban Primary pupil turned six yesterday and MacGillivray says his future depends on getting the best help now.

She said: “They said he could grow up to have quite an independent life. I always thought that was great and now they are saying we are not going to do that.

“Most people think their child will grow up and leave home, but I don’t know if that will ever happen. If Argyll and Bute can’t support Innes we would have to move and that’s not fair for my other children.”

Bed and breakfast owner Jan Roberts moved her family to Oban from Glasgow and says she would “hate” to have to pack up again to help daughter Nadia, 12. She said: “Nadia needs help with really basic things. She can’t go in and take her coat off herself or go to the toilet on her own. She needs help to eat.

“We are a minority group but we want people to realise it’s going to affect all of our children. The staff at Nadia’s school are fantastic but through no fault of their own some of them might end up not being there. In the past we didn’t have people with learning problems and disabilities. Are we going to go back to that? Is this how little they value our children?”

The 145 options drawn up by the Tory-LibDem-Independent administration include getting rid of school librarians, cutting the budget for physical education facilities in half and a 20 per cent reduction to the budget for every school.

A total of 450 full-time equivalent posts are under threat. However, last night the council said no decisions have yet been made.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: “It is important to understand that there are more options for consideration than savings that have to be made – that is why we need to hear our communities’ views and we are encouraging people to submit their comments.

“Our funding is set to fall significantly in future years. Budget estimates mean we have to save £9 million in each of the next two years with further savings in future, which is why one of the things we are looking at is our ASN budget, which is in excess of £3m; a significant proportion of the overall education budget.

“Any proposed change to the ASN staffing model will be subject to a full Equality Impact Assessment (EIA). The council has no option but to make choices about what we do and how we work so that we can continue to support our communities where most needed, and to invest in a prosperous future for Argyll and Bute.

“There are no easy choices now to bridge this funding gap.”