A dedicated centre specifically designed to support children on the autistic spectrum was officially opened in Cumbernauld High this week, highlighting the benefits the facility delivers to young people across North Lanarkshire.

The Language and Communication Support Centre – which opened in August 2006 following a £640,000 refurbishment – was the first centre of its kind in Scotland when it originally opened in 1995.

As autism and Aspergers Syndrome affect the way a person communicates and relates to the environment around them, the refurbished centre has been designed to support the delivery of a quality education curriculum within a specialist setting that has appropriate facilities, lighting and dιcor.

The centre comprises four general purposes classrooms, an art room, a sound-proof music room and a hygiene room and is supported by a state-of-the-art ICT infrastructure.

Twenty pupils currently benefit from the services available within the new centre and a further five are set to join at the start of the new school year in August. The aim of the centre is to provide the specialist support required in order that pupils can integrate to their full potential with the extensive mainstream curriculum on offer within the school.

The centre was officially opened by Councillor Charlie Gray, Convener of North Lanarkshire Council's Education Committee, who said: "The ethos behind this centre is to provide a sustained and integrated approach to education for children on the autistic spectrum, and it is clear that this facility certainly lives up to that.

"All pupils benefit, the staff benefit, and the parents and carers benefit – it really is a win-win situation for the entire school. It is also yet another example of how North Lanarkshire is leading the way in developing innovative and creative approaches to education to deliver a quality learning and teaching environment.

"This is a great facility and I'm sure it will be enjoyed by many."

Cumbernauld High Head Teacher, Walter Muir, explained: "We are absolutely delighted with the new centre – it is a truly impressive facility that delivers a first-class service for young people between 11 and 18 years of age who are living with autism and really makes a difference to their lives.

"This centre is part of an innovative and comprehensive approach to our pupils' education that focuses on integration and inclusion and pupils from the school and those based in the centre all benefit from the interaction with each other.

"The feedback from pupils, parents, carers and staff has been extremely positive – particularly in relation to the centre's integral role within the school, which has seen the sixth-year common room located in the centre and teaching staff making use of the smaller classrooms available.

"I am very proud that Cumbernauld High is home to this fantastic centre, which I'm sure will continue to be a great success."

Mark Cairns, Depute Head Teacher with direct responsibility for the new centre added: "The benefits of having a centre like this are enormous to the whole school community. Additional curricular and vocational opportunities for all pupils have fostered a shared sense of values and mutual respect throughout the school. This newly-refurbished centre now provides a facility in which to develop this work and everyone is delighted with the result."

Stuart Barbour, a pupil from the centre, said: "I like the support centre because the staff are friendly and helpful. I am a prefect and a pupil buddy and the support centre has encouraged me to do paired reading with a second year pupil."

Mrs Kirk, whose son attends the centre, added: "I have already seen the positive benefits for my son attending the Language and Communication Support Centre. I feel that Cumbernauld High offers a supportive environment and, thanks to the expertise of the staff, my son has been successfully integrated into a mainstream high school."

Stephen Hutchison, S6 House Captain, said that the centre benefited all pupils: "The location of our common room in the new centre is a great benefit to both S6 and pupils of the centre. We have become closer to the pupils of the centre as they are not tucked away in a far corner of the school and the teachers can assist us with our studies."

Claire Thackeray, S6 Vice-Captain, concluded: "Having the Learning and Communication Support Centre beside our common room is great. No longer are the children separated from the school, but now we are together as one big school – the way it should be!"