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Autism

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Kayla Henebry. Her mother Aisling said: 'She can thrive when she's in the correct environment.'</p>

spotlight

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.'

<p>St. Gabriel's Special School caters to students aged four to 18 with severe intellectual disabilities, including those with autism and complex needs. Picture: Denise Minihane</p>

munster

Cork special school planned to cut student days amid ‘critical’ staffing crisis

<p>The US Food and Drug Administration is changing the label on Tylenol to warn of a 'possible association' between autism and taking the drug in pregnancy.</p>

health and wellbeing

ieExplains: Is Tylenol the same as paracetamol and does it have links to autism?

Donald Trump

politics

Experts slam Trump's 'false and dangerous' claims linking paracetamol in pregnancy to autism

Donald Trump

world

Trump attacks paracetamol as officials unveil highly contentious conclusions on autism

Little 7 years schoolboy going to school.

munster

Suspensions ‘crisis’ at flagship special school in Cork

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

Sinn Féin: Changes to legislation for assessments of need would 'reward State failure'

Sinn Féin: Changes to legislation for assessments of need would 'reward State failure'

Micheál Martin told the Dáil 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 Féin, 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 Dáil for better autism services

Cara Darmody, who has two brothers with severe autism, plans to hold the protest outside the Dáil 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 Dáil 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 Dáil: 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