ASPartOfMe wrote:
Hundreds of autistic teenagers in ‘inappropriate’ schoolsQuote:
Hundreds of teenagers with autism are in “inappropriate” secondary schools, or not in school at all, due to a dearth of suitable places, a leading rights campaigner has warned.
Adam Harris, who has autism and is founder and chief executive of AsIAm, said while there had been significant and welcome increase in supports at primary school level for children with autism, it was like “falling off a cliff” at secondary level.
Across whole areas of south Dublin, until last year, not one secondary school had an autism unit. In addition there had been insufficient investment in “special schools” – deemed most suitable for some children with autism and additional complex needs.
Ireland has made good progress with special educational provision since 1947, when St Vincent’s Home for Mentally Defective Children was recognised by the state as an official school, and so acknowledging that children with additional needs were entitled to more than basic care.
As a republic we are almost at the century old mark, but progress is marred by funding limitations and will be for another couple of generations at least.
I like Adam Harris (his brother Simon Harris is our current Minister for Health), he is using the platform available to him to be a good advocate for people on the spectrum, though with the continued economic difficulties I can't help but feel that meaningful change is going to be slower than necessary.
31 Aug 2018, 12:02 am
