THE mother of a young boy on the autism spectrum fears for his safety as she faces carrying him up and down three flights of stairs every day.

Daniela Robertson says son Dylan, who is three, is prone to sudden outbursts as part of his condition.

But she says her pleas for a ground-floor property are being “ignored”.

Now Daniela, who lives with Dylan and his big sister Alice, who is five, says the family sometimes find themselves trapped in their flat because she cannot guarantee getting them all safely down the stairs.

She said: “I have begged East Lothian Council to help us but I feel because Dylan does not have a physical disability his needs are being ignored.

“It is a risk every time we go up and down the stairs, which we have to do several times a day with Alice at school and Dylan going to nursery.

“Some days they miss out because we cannot safely leave the apartment. Dylan can have sudden outbursts of anger and he has no understanding of danger.

“He would think nothing of jumping down all the stairs in one go.

“Most of the time I have to carry him down the stairs, which is just not safe.”

The family, who live in Haddington, moved there from Tranent after the breakdown of Daniela’s marriage.

Dylan was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum last October and has been battling to find a more suitable home since but is a full-time carer for her children.

Daniela, 37, said the family had looked at a first-floor flat in Tranent through a housing association but was told it was not suitable because of Dylan’s condition.

She said: “They said a first-floor flat was too dangerous for Dylan, yet we are living on the third floor presently.”

Doctors have assessed Dylan and recommended he have his own bedroom; the family are currently in a two-bedroom property and Alice shares with her brother.

However, Dylan’s sleep patterns and outbursts mean his sister is often disrupted.

Homehunt, which helps find housing through East Lothian Housing Association, have given the family a priority pass, Daniela said, but it has no suitable properties available. She said: “It is as if a mental health disability is less important than a physical one, and that should not be the case.”

A spokesperson for the council said: “East Lothian Council has recently been in discussions with Ms Robertson and continue to advise her on appropriate options and procedures to assist her.”