Autism

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

'Like giving to one child by taking from another': Mother's fear for autistic son's future
'Like giving to one child by taking from another': Mother's fear for autistic son's future
Early intervention classes, preschools for autistic children between the ages of three and five, are “slowly but surely phased out, under the guise of inclusivity”, the Dáil heard last week. 

Mon, 27 Apr, 2026

Little patient at dentist office.
Dental waiting lists have led some children with complex needs to self-harm because of the pain
For children with complex needs who may be non‑verbal or unable to articulate pain, signs such as refusing food or self‑harming are often the only way parents or carers realise something is wrong

Thu, 23 Apr, 2026

Middle aged asia people old mom holding hands trust comfort help young woman talk crying stress relief at home. Mum as friend lo
'Complex and prolonged' assessment of need system in urgent need of reform, report says
Among a slew of recommendations, the Oireachtas committee called for a funded workforce and service capacity plan

Mon, 20 Apr, 2026

Senate Holds Confirmation Hearings For HHS Secretary Nominee Robert Kennedy
Conspiracy theories leading to worrying rise in autism misinformation 
In the US, health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has prompted unproven claims regarding autism

Thu, 02 Apr, 2026

Limited access to special needs dentists regularly leaving patients in pain
Limited access to special needs dentists regularly leaving patients in pain
Many people with disabilities need general anaesthetic for dental care. General anaesthetic can only be offered in hospitals

Tue, 31 Mar, 2026

Parent comforting helping sad emotional child at home, concept of bullying, stress disappointment, sadness.
'All the advice about having rhythms and routines — none made any difference' for child avoiding school
After two years of engaging with welfare services and being threatened with prosecution over her son’s school avoidance, a mother was told there were no autism class places available when he got his diagnosis, says Jess Casey

Mon, 23 Mar, 2026

Special educational needs and disabilities survey
Mother of child with Down syndrome had to move homes to be near school with special class
'We must stop limping from crisis to crisis or taking a piecemeal approach to our vision for an inclusive education system'

Thu, 19 Mar, 2026

Boy playing with the interactive board
Autism protocol to tackle long delays for assessment of need still not rolled out, HSE says 
Protocol to tackle spiralling waiting times was due to be rolled out in early February but has missed this target

Mon, 16 Mar, 2026

Parents devastated as special classes for children with additional needs delayed until 2027
Parents devastated as special classes for children with additional needs delayed until 2027
Twelve children with additional needs receive just two hours of daily education as planned Finglas special classes face delays

Thu, 12 Mar, 2026

Closure of Cork special school must be 'catalyst for necessary change'
Closure of Cork special school must be 'catalyst for necessary change'
The school, which is in the Taoiseach’s constituency, is expected to reopen on March 9 following an incident on February 26 in which staff sustained injuries

Thu, 05 Mar, 2026

Diary of an autistic prisoner: 'I only had two showers in four weeks'
Diary of an autistic prisoner: 'I only had two showers in four weeks'
An autistic man spent 27 days in overcrowded Cork Prison after residential placement collapsed and bail was refused

Sat, 21 Feb, 2026

'No cuts to SNA numbers': Controversial review paused following backlash
'No cuts to SNA numbers': Controversial review paused following backlash
Education minister Hildegarde Naughton confirmed in a statement that there will be 'no cuts to SNA numbers'

Tue, 17 Feb, 2026

'It’s simply not possible': Cork principal hits out at SNA cuts
'It’s simply not possible': Cork principal hits out at SNA cuts
Education Correspondent Jess Casey hears from parents and teachers about their fears amid NCSE review of special needs assistants

Tue, 17 Feb, 2026

Inclusive Cork school left waiting for autism classes — as parents fund new sensory space
Inclusive Cork school left waiting for autism classes — as parents fund new sensory space
Scoil Eoin in Ballincollig has yet to get funds for three autism spectrum disorder classes already sanctioned by the NCSE

Mon, 16 Feb, 2026

Trevor O'Neill: ‘My autism diagnosis felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders’
S Trevor O'Neill: ‘My autism diagnosis felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders’
Midleton-based Trevor O’Neill describes two key moments that led to him gaining a sense of purpose and of himself — and the confidence to see things through

Fri, 06 Feb, 2026

Preschool Children Playing Music Using Various Colorful Instruments
Autistic girls four times less likely to get childhood diagnosis than boys, study finds
Researchers found by the age of 20, diagnosis rates of men and women were almost equal, challenging previous assumptions autism is more common among males

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

School children in classroom
Several autism classes waiting for dedicated buildings
At least two primary schools approved to set up autism classes last September have yet to open buildings for their students

Mon, 26 Jan, 2026

Royal High School
Autistic girl's family told to seek special school place in other counties
Autistic girl's mother, Áine Curtin, says: 'It's not just me... They have kids getting on buses in Cork and going to schools in Kerry'

Mon, 19 Jan, 2026

NCSE refusal leaves non-verbal autistic boy without access to special education
NCSE refusal leaves non-verbal autistic boy without access to special education
Family says delayed Camhs assessment left them unable to meet a newly introduced NCSE deadline for special school eligibility

Tue, 13 Jan, 2026

'No school forever': The kids from Rainbow Club Cork on what they want for Christmas
'No school forever': The kids from Rainbow Club Cork on what they want for Christmas
'A nicer world for our children to live in' was another request to Santa Claus and Daidí na Nollag from children with disabilities or their parents in letters from across Munster and Dublin shared with the Irish Examiner

Tue, 23 Dec, 2025

Reducing assessment of need waiting lists 'will not happen overnight', warns minister
Reducing assessment of need waiting lists 'will not happen overnight', warns minister
Cabinet today sanctioned the formation of 11 new expert teams, and a new HSE autism pathway is due to enter operation in February.

Tue, 09 Dec, 2025

Cara Darmody: What use is a recruitment campaign nobody knows about?
Cara Darmody: What use is a recruitment campaign nobody knows about?
The Government's inaction on assessments of needs is shameful. Promises have been made, but they are already being broken, writes Cara Darmody 

Tue, 09 Dec, 2025

Autism spectrum disorder ASD written on a paper.
Government yet to make substantial progress on autism recommendations
There are still aspects of life for autistic people where problems remain, a new report has said

Thu, 20 Nov, 2025

Ofsted inspection report
Children facing 'wall of indefinite waiting' for therapies, warns Inclusion Ireland
The number of assessments of need has increased by 54%, but the most pressing issue for families is the "subsequent failure" to deliver services, the group stated.

Tue, 18 Nov, 2025

Donald Trump paracetamol autism link claims
Evidence ‘does not show clear link between paracetamol, autism and ADHD’
Researchers trawled all studies on the issue and concluded they were low quality, with “low to critically low” confidence in any findings suggesting a link

Mon, 10 Nov, 2025

Parents take children to school. Crowd of happy students walk with family. Mother, father and kids with bags go back to school v
Special education: Number of early intervention classes falls in some counties
New data shows that 18 counties have either seen a reduction or no increase in the number of such classes since 2023

Mon, 03 Nov, 2025

Dáil told of 'clear school culture' of suspensions at Cork special school
Dáil told of 'clear school culture' of suspensions at Cork special school
Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide told the Dáil the cultural issues within the school are 'clearly at odds with the rights of children'

Wed, 15 Oct, 2025

Autistic girl has three different teachers in a month at Cork special school with suspensions 'crisis'
Autistic girl has three different teachers in a month at Cork special school with suspensions 'crisis'
The girl's mother said: 'I feel now she’s gone very into herself again, a lot of anxiety, a lot of upset, which then is leading to the challenging behaviours.'

Wed, 15 Oct, 2025

Cork special school planned to cut student days amid ‘critical’ staffing crisis
Cork special school planned to cut student days amid ‘critical’ staffing crisis
St Gabriel’s Special School in Bishopstown says an SNA shortage has created unsafe conditions

Fri, 10 Oct, 2025

flu medicine at DrugSmart pharmacy at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., on Monday Feb. 1, 2016.
ieExplains: Is Tylenol the same as paracetamol and does it have links to autism?
US president’s claims around painkiller also known as Tylenol contradict scientific consensus

Wed, 24 Sep, 2025

Donald Trump
Experts slam Trump's 'false and dangerous' claims linking paracetamol in pregnancy to autism
Irish doctors, autism advocates and EU regulators unite to reject Donald Trump’s unfounded claim linking paracetamol to autism

Tue, 23 Sep, 2025

Donald Trump
Trump attacks paracetamol as officials unveil highly contentious conclusions on autism
US president Donald Trump says acetaminophen – also known as paracetamol - increases risk when taken by pregnant women, assertion contradicted by research

Tue, 23 Sep, 2025

Little 7 years schoolboy going to school.
Suspensions ‘crisis’ at flagship special school in Cork 
One parent says Carrigaline Community Special School — for children from 4 to 18 with a dual diagnosis of autism and intellectual disability — handed out suspensions 'like confetti'

Sun, 21 Sep, 2025

Outrage as Danny Healy-Rae links autism to ‘lack of vitamins’ in Dáil debate
Outrage as Danny Healy-Rae links autism to ‘lack of vitamins’ in Dáil debate
Autistic advocate and parents have condemned Danny Healy-Rae’s Dáil remarks suggesting autism may be caused by vitamin deficiency

Fri, 19 Sep, 2025

HSE to hire more dentists after 'unacceptable' delay in care for autistic boy in Waterford
HSE to hire more dentists after 'unacceptable' delay in care for autistic boy in Waterford
Tiernan Power Murphy, aged 7, was told of a 10-year wait for specialist dental care as he needs to go under general anaesthetic

Mon, 08 Sep, 2025

Autism group in Cork forced to stop accepting new members due to lack of space
Autism group in Cork forced to stop accepting new members due to lack of space
Cork’s Rainbow Club's staff and volunteers will now concentrate on their existing 1,352 members, who will not be affected by the decision

Sat, 30 Aug, 2025

SEND support
‘One in four parents view education system as inclusive for autistic pupils’
Only one in four parents and just over a third of teachers view the Irish education system as inclusive for autistic pupils, research suggests.

Tue, 19 Aug, 2025

Autistic Waterford boy ‘in great form’ after delayed dental appointment but many more still waiting
Autistic Waterford boy ‘in great form’ after delayed dental appointment but many more still waiting
Taoiseach intervened after family told the 'Irish Examiner' earlier this year about the 10-year wait for treatment the boy faced

Sun, 17 Aug, 2025

'I can be around people and feel like I am alone': Autistic adults report feeling lonely and isolated
'I can be around people and feel like I am alone': Autistic adults report feeling lonely and isolated
Survey for charity AsIAm found just over half feel lonely all or most of the time, with 69% saying they feel 'left out of society'

Wed, 13 Aug, 2025

Parents in Youghal campaign for new type of school for autistic children
Parents in Youghal campaign for new type of school for autistic children
Bridging the Gap Youghal estimates there are almost 100 pupils attending autism classes in primary schools across the East Cork and West Waterford region 

Tue, 12 Aug, 2025

Boy playing with the interactive board
Oireachtas Committee hears of autistic boy offered psychology appointment in Cork in 2030
The National Disability Authority's head of policy Dr Rosalyn Tamming a review of staffing is needed ahead of the HSE's introduction of a single point of entry referrals by October

Wed, 25 Jun, 2025

Autism therapy
Parents panic after new autism classes delayed: 'I have nothing to fall back on'
Corpus Christi National School in Dublin is due to enrol 12 students following plans to convert existing parish hall

Sat, 14 Jun, 2025

Disability activist Cara Darmody claims law being broken as children 'left to rot' on waiting lists
Disability activist Cara Darmody claims law being broken as children 'left to rot' on waiting lists
A schoolgirl who has held protests outside the Dáil for better autism services has claimed the Government is "blatantly" breaking the law and "permanently damaging children".

Wed, 11 Jun, 2025

Rosie O'Donnell to perform in two back-to-back comedy shows in Dublin ahead of 3Olympia gig
Rosie O'Donnell to perform in two back-to-back comedy shows in Dublin ahead of 3Olympia gig
US comedian and activist to support autism charity AsIAm with special appearances at Dublin’s Sin É this June.

Sat, 07 Jun, 2025

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