4: The Resistible Rise of Additional Support Needs in Scotland

This chapter begins with an acknowledgment of Mary Darmanin’s contribution to the sociology of education, recognizing her contribution to my own work and that of many others interested in education and social justice. To illustrate this point, I provide a brief overview of our collaboration on a European project exploring the nature and impact of religious education. Subsequently, the chapter explores the way in which my own work in additional support needs (ASN) policy and practice has been shaped by insights from the sociology of education. Specifically, my work explores the history of ASN education in Scotland and the recent expansion of the category. I examine the social characteristics of children identified as “different”, changes in the use of categorization systems over time and the way in which labels applied in school affect children and young people throughout their lives.