Autism

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

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 DĂĄil 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

Sinn FĂ©in: Changes to legislation for assessments of need would 'reward State failure'
Sinn FĂ©in: Changes to legislation for assessments of need would 'reward State failure'
MicheĂĄl Martin told the DĂĄil he believes legislative change is needed to enable therapists to provide service to children more quickly

Tue, 20 May, 2025

Assessment of needs system backlog
Cara Darmody begins 50-hour protest to highlight disability assessment delays
The Tipperary teenager protests at Leinster House, demanding action as disability assessment delays near 25,000 cases

Tue, 20 May, 2025

Government can't treat 'abandoned' children on assessment list like political football, say TDs
Government can't treat 'abandoned' children on assessment list like political football, say TDs
There are currently more than 15,000 children whose assessment of need is overdue, meaning they cannot access vital health services for their conditions

Tue, 20 May, 2025

Assessments of need waiting list
Disability Act 'systemically broken' by assessment of need delays, says autism campaigner
In response to a parliamentary question from Labour TD Alan Kelly, the HSE said demand for the assessments continues to outstrip system capacity

Mon, 19 May, 2025

Cara's fund: Government 'must clear backlog of assessments for children with disabilities'
Cara's fund: Government 'must clear backlog of assessments for children with disabilities'
Sinn FĂ©in, Labour, Social Democrats, People Before Profit, and Independent Ireland demand urgent funding to clear AON backlog to coincide with Cara Dermody's vigil

Thu, 15 May, 2025

School stock
Autism charity welcomes moves to tackle special class policies which block children with greatest needs
Charity AsIAm said report by the Department of Education’s Inspectorate confirmed school admission policies 'disproportionately affect autistic students with higher levels of support needs'

Thu, 08 May, 2025

Cara Darmody
Tipp schoolgirl Cara Darmody to mount 50-hour protest outside the DĂĄil for better autism services
Cara Darmody, who has two brothers with severe autism, plans to hold the protest outside the DĂĄil over two days from 10am on May 20

Wed, 16 Apr, 2025

Boy, 13, awarded €1.8m interim payment over circumstances of his birth at Tipperary hospital
Boy, 13, awarded €1.8m interim payment over circumstances of his birth at Tipperary hospital
The case will come back before the courts in 2032 when the future care needs of the boy, who has autism, will be decided

Thu, 10 Apr, 2025

Alpaca therapeutic service for care home, in Ireland
'The impact is really positive': Irish farmer brings alpaca therapy to nursing homes and schools
A decade after ditching his office job for farming, 64-year-old 'Alpaca Joe' has found a new job for his herd of 71 woolly South American camelids: animal therapy for the elderly and people with additional needs

Wed, 26 Mar, 2025

Department provides new special school in Cork with temporary plot until permanent site ready
Department provides new special school in Cork with temporary plot until permanent site ready
Capacity at other existing special schools is also being 'significantly' increased for the 2025/26 school year to accommodate children who have yet to receive an offer of a school place

Wed, 26 Mar, 2025

Cork parents start campaign for new school to bridge education gap for autistic students
Cork parents start campaign for new school to bridge education gap for autistic students
Parents have called for a school to implement the traditional Junior Cycle programme, as well as Level 2 Learning Programmes , which are designed to develop essential life, social and vocational skills for students with additional learning needs

Tue, 11 Mar, 2025

Lack of school places: 'We were promised the moon and stars – we got stress and struggle'
Lack of school places: 'We were promised the moon and stars – we got stress and struggle'
Cork families are protesting a broken special education system, highlighting a lack of school places, therapies, and essential support

Sat, 08 Mar, 2025

Why a €200k donation is doing what the Government won’t for Cork’s most vulnerable children
Why a €200k donation is doing what the Government won’t for Cork’s most vulnerable children
A Cork special school received a €200K donation to fund vital therapy services, highlighting Ireland’s failing disability support system

Sat, 08 Mar, 2025

PARENTS PROTEST
Special needs: 'Every day I'm fighting for my child to get a school place'
JESS CASEY talked with parents at their wits' end trying to find school places for their children — including one mother from Cork who has been fighting for six years

Fri, 07 Mar, 2025

'How do I explain to my son when he sees his brother going to school that he can’t go?'
'How do I explain to my son when he sees his brother going to school that he can’t go?'
Special education: Ahead of their protest rally in Cork on Saturday, parents speak out about the heartbreak of trying to find a school place for their children

Fri, 07 Mar, 2025

'Patrick is asking where he’s going to big school... I have no answer for him'
'Patrick is asking where he’s going to big school... I have no answer for him'
Sheila Casey Jones had already been considering moving to a different county after receiving 29 rejections for a special class placement

Wed, 05 Mar, 2025

Mick Clifford: Law demands equal treatment for all children. Results have been pretty poor
Mick Clifford: Law demands equal treatment for all children. Results have been pretty poor
Michael Moynihan is not the first minister to say schools will be compelled to open special classes. They've had that power for five years now. So why hasn't it happened?

Wed, 05 Mar, 2025

Classroom with empty wooden desks
Department to use legislative powers to open more special classes for next school year
So far, approximately 220 new special classes are confirmed to open this September. Officials are working to open up to 400 classes

Tue, 04 Mar, 2025

Renewed hospital contract could see dental waiting times decline in South-East region
Renewed hospital contract could see dental waiting times decline in South-East region
A spokesman for the HSE Dublin South East health region said “a small proportion” of children need general anaesthetic for dental treatment, and this is only safely provided in hospitals

Mon, 03 Mar, 2025

School protest
Sleep-out planned over lack of special school places
This week, the Dåil heard that more than 14,200 children are overdue an assessment of need that  advises parents on the appropriate school placement for their child

Fri, 28 Feb, 2025

RICHELLE BROOK
Parents consider leaving country after more than 30 schools reject autistic twins
In the most recent rejection letter, she was told that one of the twins is 16th on the waiting list and the other is 44th

Fri, 28 Feb, 2025

Irish study shows one in five drug and alcohol users have symptoms of ADHD
Irish study shows one in five drug and alcohol users have symptoms of ADHD
The study said screening for neurodiversity among people attending drug services should become part of the assessment process

Thu, 27 Feb, 2025

Taoiseach promises 'immediate' solution for autistic boy facing 10-year wait for urgent dental work
Taoiseach promises 'immediate' solution for autistic boy facing 10-year wait for urgent dental work
In many cases autistic children need to undergo general anaesthetic for dental care rather than a straightforward appointment

Wed, 26 Feb, 2025

'He's afraid to eat': Parents desperate as autistic boy faces years-long dental waiting list
'He's afraid to eat': Parents desperate as autistic boy faces years-long dental waiting list
Tiernan Murphy-Power, from Waterford, needs to have three teeth extracted, but his parents have been unable to find a dentist to carry out the work

Wed, 26 Feb, 2025

'Jay doesn’t need a babysitter, he needs an education. It’s his right'
'Jay doesn’t need a babysitter, he needs an education. It’s his right'
A lack of school placement is leaving Rebecca’s son Jay stuck in limbo, writes Education Correspondent Jess Casey

Fri, 07 Feb, 2025

Boy playing with the interactive board
Demand for places in Waterford special school leaves 20 children on waiting list
St John’s Special School in Dungarvan saw its applications triple this year

Fri, 07 Feb, 2025

Kanye West
Kanye West announces he has been diagnosed as autistic
Rapper and fashion designer says he was misdiagnosed as bipolar

Thu, 06 Feb, 2025

Daughter Pushing Senior Mother In Wheelchair
‘Perfect storm’ leading to higher levels of carer harm, say researchers
Shrinking support services are putting family carers at risk

Mon, 03 Feb, 2025

KRB 05-12-2024 XX Irene Feighan: AADI Therapy dogs
'They become like your other child': What it's like to foster a therapy dog
Therapy dogs provide priceless assistance to children with autism. Meet two foster families who help them on their way

Fri, 13 Dec, 2024

Two in five parents educate disabled children at home
Autism charity raises significant issues with new guide for 'behaviours of concern' in schools
AsIAm says guidelines do not adequately safeguard autistic children

Thu, 12 Dec, 2024

Colin Farrell invites Irish autism campaigner to deliver his charity's keynote speech
Colin Farrell invites Irish autism campaigner to deliver his charity's keynote speech
Cara Darmody used the opportunity to tell guests at the event in Chicago how the lack of sufficient special needs assessments and provision is a “national disgrace” in Ireland

Sun, 08 Dec, 2024

Mother of autistic boy praises Cork woman 'for having the courage to' confront Taoiseach
Mother of autistic boy praises Cork woman 'for having the courage to' confront Taoiseach
Edwina McElhinney speaks about the 'exceptionally poor staffing levels' in the two disability teams in South Tipperary

Thu, 28 Nov, 2024

Election 2024: Adult autism — Take steps to make us feel included in society
Election 2024: Adult autism — Take steps to make us feel included in society
My message to the next DĂĄil: Mike McGrath-Bryan calls on the next government to provide specialised public care and assistance for neurodivergent adults in a world not built for them

 Listen | Wed, 27 Nov, 2024

 Listen |
‘My Message to the next Dáil’ podcast: Mike McGrath-Bryan on the barriers facing neurodivergent adults
‘My Message to the next Dáil’ podcast: Mike McGrath-Bryan on the barriers facing neurodivergent adults
Mike McGrath-Bryan is a features writer and digital journalist for the Irish Examiner who was diagnosed as autistic and ADHD as an adult.

 Listen | Wed, 27 Nov, 2024

 Listen |
Cork cinema ruled to have discriminated against former duty manager who has autism
Cork cinema ruled to have discriminated against former duty manager who has autism
The Workplace Relations Commission instructed the cinema to carry out either awareness training or workshops 'in an effort to introduce a positive management approach to staff with neurological complex conditions such as autism'

Tue, 12 Nov, 2024

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