My son Adam started at New Struan School in August 2014 having attended a learning support unit at a primary school in Stirling.

Having visited and considered various schools for Adam's secondary education, we opted for New Struan School. This was taking into account the day-to-day curriculum and also the residential aspect. Our long-term goal for Adam is that by the age of 18 he is living in supported accommodation with opportunities to maximise his potential.

Adam has settled well into school life at New Struan - more so in his second year during which time he has developed hugely in aspects of language and social skills. We are quite fortunate in that Adam is fairly flexible in his day-to-day living with not too much emphasis being placed on new experiences and situations, therefore, the variety of activities centred around his curriculum is well suited to his capabilities.

He has always enjoyed outdoor excursions so trips to local venues or further afield to say the Science Centre in Glasgow or Auchengarroch Wildlife Centre near Crieff are hugely beneficial, as not only do they provide huge enjoyment but also can be used as motivational tools to promote these skills. 

The grounds of Struan provide a superb area where our children can (if need be) simply get outside and burn off excess energy/frustration. In Adam's case, if he shows signs of stress, often an opportunity to just run seems to provide a form of relief from whatever may be troubling him - so important in a life where people are always guiding or restricting your movements through fear of danger/harm.

Adam is a child who very much wears his heart on his sleeve. If he wasn't happy at Struan, this would be very obvious to us. Music has always played a big part in Adam's life, with the music therapy sessions offered at the school proving extremely popular with him. The fact that he sings quite a lot is testament to his enjoyment of the school - even if the other staff and pupils have trouble appreciating his musical prowess!