THOUSANDS of kids with extra support needs are facing a "postcode lottery" when it comes to care, experts claim.

The Scottish Children's Services Coalition (SCSC) says some of the 153,000 Scots pupils with Additional Support Needs (ASN) may not be getting the support they are entitled to.

Almost 30% of pupils in the Glasgow, around 19,000, were registered as having ASN including learning difficulties and disabilities and autism in 2015.

The SCSC is concerned that the large differences in the percentage of pupils with ASN in neighbouring local authorities means there could be issues with recording the data.

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The group, which is made up of seven organisations which work with children, say the data "indicates major disparities across local authority areas when it comes to recording pupils with ASN."

Figures released by the Scottish Government show Glasgow's neighbour North Lanarkshire has only recorded 8 per cent of pupils as having ASN, while the city has almost 30 per cent.

North Ayrshire records figures of 27.1% for school pupils with ASN, compared with South Ayrshire recording 11.6%.

Government ministers are facing calls to provide stricter guidelines on how children with extra support needs should be recorded, to ensure all children who need help receive it.

A spokesman for the SCSC commented: “The Scottish Government must commit to working more closely with local authorities to tackle this and develop a universal method to ensure that better information is recorded so that accurate numbers can be reported.

"Only then will we truly be able to provide the best support for some of Scotland’s most vulnerable people.”

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Ross Greer MSP, Education spokesman for the Scottish Greens mirrored the group's concerns and said: "To see such wide variations in data suggests some local authorities are better than others at identifying youngsters with additional support needs.

"Parents, pupils and teachers are being let down as the squeeze on public funds disgracefully targets ASN as a soft option."

The Scottish Government said they have changed the way data is collected in the past six years which has contributed to the rise in pupils recorded as having ASN.

A spokeswoman said: "We continue to work with partners in local authorities to share best practice and build on the attainment improvements already made.

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"Prior to 2010, only pupils with Co-ordinated Support Plans, Individualised Educational Programmes or who were attending a special school were recorded as having additional support needs however in 2010 this was extended to include anyone receiving additional support.

"In addition to this the Scottish Government has also made a commitment to improve guidance to authorities on recording and work to agree this is ongoing."