A woman whose son has severe autism says they have been left two months without support from Highland Council since she was moved 35 miles away from her family in Inverness.
Wendy Morton says she now feels “like a prisoner” in her Tain home after being forced to leave her private rented accommodation in Nairn when it was put up for sale.
Her 12-year-old son, Seamus Treacy, was diagnosed with autism in November last year but Ms Morton claims she has received no support at all in the past eight weeks – and can’t even bring herself to tell her son about his condition.
She says she is concerned about Seamus’s future education, as he is refusing to attend school and currently only receives two hours of education a week at The Bridge special needs school in Inverness.
A council spokeswoman said that, while homelessness services makes every effort to ensure temporary accommodation in provided near their support networks, it is not always immediately available locally.
She added that the council works with families who have been moved away to access suitable support or obtain suitable accommodation near their last settled address, and that this can take “some time to organise” as availability is dependent on other households.
But Ms Morton said that Seamus is becoming “”increasingly agitated” and “overwhelmed” by the situation and has started “counting to himself” and swearing more often.
The 45-year-old added: “I wanted to stay in Inverness and it’s where we have got all of the support from the family. It’s like we have been shoved up here to a prison and we are prisoners. I feel like I have been left to rot. I feel like I have been mistreated.
“We should be prioritised and nearer where the children can get their education.
‘We’ve been in Tain eight weeks and not one person has been to visit and there is no social worker involved with me or anyone who has training for children with autism.”
Seamus was diagnosed with social communication autism aged 11 in November after being initially referred by a community pediatrician in August 2015 – but Ms Morton said the signs were visible from the age of about seven.
He exhibits various behavioural symptoms including difficulty maintaining eye contact, sensitivities in crowded places and a struggle to control his anger which can result in lashing out with bad language.
He has been moved between seven different schools in the past as a result of his outbursts.
Ms Morton’s older son, Sean, 13, is also refusing to attend school and she says both of her boys are “barely leaving the house.”
Ms Morton also had to give up her job as a chef at Fort George barracks as a result of the move to Tain.
