Reporting by Evanna Holland

The mother of a severely autistic boy has threatened to refuse to send her son to school after Fife Council denied her request for additional education support.

Four-year-old Struan from Glenrothes struggles to express himself due to his condition.

At just two years of age, his concerned mother Stephanie Ross noticed Struan appeared to be reverting in his development and was no longer able to speak proper words.

A year later he was diagnosed with autism and has required specialist care at nursery.

As Struan approached school age, his mother has raised concerns about her son being educated in a mainstream school.

"He has no way of communicating, so things at school like ordering a school meal would be impossible for him," Stephanie explains.

"People that don't know him wouldn't know what he wants or what he is asking for.

"He is still not toilet trained as well so he is still in nappies."

Two weeks ago, Stephanie learned that her application to send Struan to nearby Rimbleton Primary School's additional support class had been rejected, and that Struan would be put into a mainstream learning environment.

The mother of two thinks the decision is not only unfair to her son, but to Struan's potential teacher and classmates.

"He's just going to disrupt the class, disrupt everyone else's learning and it's not fair on them either," she says.

"I think that if Struan goes to mainstream school, I think that Fife Council are setting him up to fail before he's even started and I'm not prepared to send him to a mainstream school."

Stephanie has appealed to the council for her son's case to be re-examined.

Struan's place at Rimbleton would see him have access to the daily outreach sessions at the school's special unit, as well as the help of a part time pupils support assistant.

Peter McNaughton, head of education for Fife Council, said in a statement to STV News that he believes it is never in the interests of a child to discuss such matters in a public form.

Ms Ross' appeal to the decision will be dealt with through established processes.

The statement continues that it is the council's policy that children are supported within mainstream education wherever possible.

Stephanie said if there's no positive outcome from her appeal, she will refuse to send Struan to school.