Shortage of second-level school places for children with autism
Parents of autistic children in the Athlone area are being forced to home school their children for up to four years, or travel up to 45km away to secure a secondary school place for them, it has been claimed this week.
Claire Earley whose daughter lives with autism, recently set up a Facebook page called ‘Autism Parents Athlone’ in a bid to improve services for autistic children in the region.
“One of the biggest issues that has been raised by parents is the lack of secondary school places for their autistic children in Athlone,” she says, adding that some parents have had to resort to home schooling their children “for up to four years, or travelling “up to 45km away” in order to secure a place for their child in an ASD unit.
“We have three major secondary schools right in the centre of Athlone, and not one of them has an ASD unit, which is a disgrace in this day and age,” says Claire, “and I have parents who are at their wits' end trying to secure a school place for their child, and it’s just not available to them.”
Claire, who lives in Monksland, and whose daughter currently attends the special unit in Summerhill primary school, says she may face “exactly the same problem” when the time comes for her own daughter to attend secondary school.
"One of the criteria for getting a place in the ASD unit at Coláiste Chiaráin is that you must have older siblings in the school, but my older children will have left the school by the time by daughter starts there, so she may not even get a place," points out Ms. Earley.
“The unit in Coláiste Chiaráin is fantastic, but it is not enough,” she says, questioning why similar units are not available in other schools in the area.
Autistic children “thrive on routine” according to Claire Earley, and she is adamant that parents who are forced to home school their children are not sufficiently trained to provide them with all the specialised help they need. “Every child has the basic right to an education, and that is undoubtedly being denied to autistic children in the Athlone area,” she says,
Michelle Lynch from Baylough, has had “absolutely no success” in trying to secure a place in 1st year for her son, Gareth, for the new school year in September. He is currently attending Summerhill primary school and the only place she has been offered around the Midlands is in Glenamaddy in Galway, which is over 50km away, having tried Ferbane, Clara, Moate, Tullamore and Roscommon.
“”I have been on to the school welfare officer, local TDs, anyone you could think of, but nobody can do anything to help me as the places are just not available,” she says, “so I will probably have no option but to home school my son for a year and see if I can get a place for him next year.”
Michelle was hoping to obtain a place in the ASD unit at Coláiste Chiaráin but when she approached the school she was told that there was only one place available for the 2022/23 school year, and her son is now in 5th place on that list.
Gareth is the second youngest of Michelle Lynch’s five children and she says it is “horrible to have to fight all the time” to secure the services that should be available to her autistic son. “He is entitled to an education, but that right is not being afforded to him in the greater Athlone area,” she says.
Sharon Benny is facing exactly the same scenario with her autistic twins, Kyle and Hannah, who are in 6th class in Summerhill NS. “My daughter is non-verbal and she would not be able to cope in mainstream, but I cannot secure a place for either of them at any secondary school in the greater Athlone area,” she says.
Sharon, who lives in the Sliabh Rua housing development in Moate, says the fact that her twins have no siblings has also militated against them getting a place in secondary school. “The two criteria being used by most places is that you must have a sibling in the same school or you must be from the catchment area… we have tried everywhere, but there are no places available for them.”
She says St Hilda’s would possibly be an option for her daughter, but she cites extreme difficulty in being able to obtain all the medical reports that are required. “It’s a bit like winning the Lotto,” she adds.
The Principal of Coláiste Chiaráin, Brendan Waldron, acknowledges that there is “a shortage of places” for children on the autism spectrum in the Athlone/South Roscommon area, and says he is “well aware” of the situation.
A specialised ASD unit has been incorporated into the new Coláiste Chiaráin school which caters for 12 students in two classes, but Mr. Waldron says it is now “at capacity” for the 2022/23 school year.
“We had four places available last year but we only had one for the upcoming school year, so the reality is that we always have an excess of applicants for the places that are available,” he admits.
He says the lack of ASD places is “a national problem, as well as being a local one” and he said that families who live in the catchment area of the school, or who have siblings already in the school are given “higher priority” when it comes to the allocation of places in the ASD unit.
The only other school locally with a specialised ASD unit is Moate Community School, and Tom Lowry says providing educational facilities for children on the autism spectrum has been "one of the best decisions" he has ever made in his role as Principal.
The facility, known as the Uisneach Centre, has three classes of six students each, which is the maximum number of classes permitted, but Tom Lowry. who is a big advocate of the concept, acknowledges that it does not cater for the demand in the local community.
"We get queries from parents all over the Midlands and further afield, and we had one place available for the 2022/23 school year and six applicants, so that will give you an idea of the demand."
He points out that the Uisneach Centre has "greatly enhanced" the whole school community since it was first established in 2018.
He adds that it "fosters a spirit of inclusion and respect" for students with special education needs, and says that many of also participate in mainstream classes and school activities.
Mr Lowry says there are "absolutely no obstacles in the way of any school in the Athlone area" to requesting the establishment of an ASD unit, and says he has received "the utmost support and assistance" from the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). the local Special Education Needs Officer and the Department of Education.
In a statement to the Westmeath Independent, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) which oversees the allocation of school places for children who are diagnosed with autism and other special needs, said they have been working with stakeholders in Westmeath "for a number of years" to meet the identified needs in the county.
"SENO's are currently engaged with schools and Boards of Management in the Athlone and the wider Westmeatyh/Roscommon regions to establish the level of need and seeking interest in opening special classes" the statement said.
The statement pointed out that "individual school authorities are responsible for the establishment of special classes" and it is "open to any school" to make application to the NCSE to do so.
"NCSE have responded positively and will continue to do so when schools seek to open special classes to meet the educational needs of children in their communities," the statement added.
The NCSE said four new post primary autism special classes opened in Westmeath in September 2021 providing an additional 24 special class places within the county. It also added that they are "aware that special classes in these areas generally operate at capacity" and are working with local schools to ensure that there are adequate places for those students that require them.
The NCSE has advised parents in Westmeath to "make and maintain contact" with the NCSE locally "so that their children’s needs can be taken into account in planning special class provision and for updated information on availability of placements in existing and newly established special classes."