Dr Colman Noctor: Parents feel 'put on trial' to access disability services
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When I spoke to disability advocate Tom Clonan last year, I asked him how he, and other parents, found the time and energy to be strong advocates for their children. Tom replied: 'Parents of children with disabilities have no choice but to become advocates because they have to fight for every scrap of support they get... Nothing about having a child with additional needs is easy, but it is made so much more challenging by a system that is so chronically difficult to navigate'.
That nothing is made simple for children with additional needs is true for so many families. I have two autistic nephews, and I have seen my sister fight to secure whatever supports she can to give her boys the best opportunities for a decent quality of life. This has involved sending video clips of the level of challenging behaviour she has to manage daily and pleading with service providers, administrators, and TDs to help to get her the support she needs.
