Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom fáilte a thabhairt do gach éinne sa Visitors Gallery. Bringing up a child with autism can be challenging for parents, particularly when other people do not understand the issues involved. Parents often find it more difficult to get their child access to educational and other services because of perceived issues related to the child’s condition. Unfortunately, this can lead to further social isolation and frustration for the child and heartbreak for the parents.

On many occasions, Sinn Féin has, through its spokespersons on education, disability and health, raised the issue of the serious lack of special school places and autism spectrum condition units throughout the country. I can attest that that lack of services is very evident in Dublin North-West. It is particularly acute at primary and secondary school level. My constituency office is currently dealing with several such cases.

The parents of a child with autism whose case I am currently dealing with are in the Visitors Gallery. Such parents are a credit and an example to us all. The problems they face in accessing proper services for their son, Seán, seem insurmountable. Seán has a dual diagnosis of Down's syndrome and autism spectrum condition. His parents continue to fight for him because, as his mother stated, he is being deprived of an appropriate school placement that can provide him with the necessary supports that will result in him performing to the best of his ability. She states that there is a severe lack of appropriate places for children like her son in the north Dublin area. He currently attends a mainstream school but has had a difficult time because the school was not following recommended strategies or was not able to provide him with the supports he requires. This has proven very stressful and frustrating for Seán and his family, and Seán has become increasingly introverted. His parents are finding it very difficult to secure an appropriate school placement for him within their catchment area, while he is placed bottom of the list for places outside their catchment area. As a result of the lack of resources and services for those with autism, Seán is effectively being deprived of an appropriate school placement and a placement in an ASC unit. Such appropriate placement in or school or an ASC unit would provide Seán with the necessary supports to allow to perform to the best of his ability. It is what a parent would want for his or her child. The problems faced by Seán and his family are not unique.

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