Feb 7, 2025, Extra i.e.: Mum who applied to 47 schools for her son has no place
The mother of an autistic child has revealed how she has applied to 47 schools but cannot find a place for her son.
Another woman said she had fought for an extra year of autism-specific pre-school for her daughter after failing to get a school place, but is frightened about what will happen in September.
AS I AM is Ireland's version of Autism Speaks, raises money, no real help
It has prompted calls from autism charity AsIAm for a centralised application process so parents can identify where places are available.
The Ombudsman for Children reported in September last year that 126 children with special educational needs were without a school at the start of the term.
The Department of Special Education has said all those without a school place in September were subsequently offered one.
However, parents told RTÉ that this was not their experience.
‘MENTAL BREAKDOWN’
Holly Walsh was disappointed when her son Kristian did not get a place in any of the 47 schools that she applied to last year.
She admitted the lack of school this year had affected him deeply.
‘Kristian has regressed. He used to have a few words, but he has no words anymore , ’ she explained. ‘Kristian has no help with his physical health, his emotional health, psychological health. He has no skills. I’m very close to having a mental breakdown because I feel like I can’t support my children.’
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) said that 1,700 special educational classes have been created in the last five years, with an additional 400 coming on stream in the next school year, totalling 3,700 special educational classes nationwide.
However, some children have quite specific additional needs, and Charlotte Cahill’s daughter, Cyra, from Firhouse in Dublin, remains in preschool because she has not been given a primary school suitable to her requirements:
She said there was an eight-week gap in Cyra’s education last year.
‘FAMILIES GO THROUGH TURMOIL’
‘During those eight weeks, Cyra went back to not sleeping and she was self-injuring again,’ Charlotte recalled. ‘She wasn’t eating. She lost 10kg in the space of eight weeks. It was absolutely horrendous. I don’t know what we will do if Cyra doesn’t get a school [in September]. She’s been locked out of an education.’
Adam Harris, chief executive of AsIAm, said: ‘At present, we see families go through real emotional turmoil as they’re passed from school to school.
‘We need a centralised application process where people file one application, and then are able to identify a school place that meets their needs,’ he added.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said that over summer 2024, it and the NCSE had worked with a number of schools to provide additional places.
‘The NCSE subsequently worked very closely with these schools to admit children known to the NCSE without a placement through the early part of this school year,’ she said.
‘The NCSE is now moving to sanction new special classes for the 2025/26 school year.’
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