Mother 'worried' as no special school place again for son
As the country's primary schools prepare to reopen at the end of this month, many autistic children who were promised a school place for September will remain at home.
As the new academic year approaches, many parents of autistic children are left anxious and frustrated due to the lack of special school places. In Dublin, Lisa Storey, a resident of the city centre, is one such mother worried about her nearly seven-year-old son, Sam, who is also autistic. Despite applying for a special school place for Sam since last year, he remains without a place.
Storey is particularly concerned about Sam's potential regression if he is forced to stay at home, as the cramped one-bedroom flat they live in does not allow for home tuition. Labour TD for Dublin city centre, Marie Sherlock, echoed Storey's sentiments, stating that numerous families across the country have faced rejection after rejection when applying for special school placements.
The Department of Education acknowledged the issue, noting that 584 new special classes have been sanctioned for the upcoming school year, representing an 86% increase since 2020. However, they also highlighted that almost 2,500 children are currently in unsuitable school placements, with many in mainstream schools expected to be in special classes or special schools instead.
Written by urgent.news from RTE News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
