Autism help only found by accident

SEVEN-YEAR-OLD John Stratford used to stand on top of the washing machine screaming at his mother and pointing to a press overhead.

But thanks to intensive one-on-one tuition, the bright-eyed Kilkenny boy is matching colours, recognises his letters and can communicate using pictures.

It’s nothing short of a miracle, his mother Margaret says, and she only found out about it by accident.

No matter how hard she tried, the mother of five couldn’t understand what her youngest child wanted when he’d throw a tantrum.

She’d reluctantly enrolled him in a special school after he was diagnosed with autism at four years of age.

She watched him regress, becoming increasingly frustrated and less inclined to try to communicate.

So Margaret pulled him out of school and began a battle with the Department of Education and Science for home tuition.

“After just two hours of home tuition, John came into me here last June and put up his hand to say ‘hi’ to me.

“He’s now recognising colours and using pictures to communicate with us,” she said.

“The change since he’s been taught using applied behavioural analysis (ABA) and has been tutored intensively on a one-to-one level has been nothing short of remarkable,” the Kilkenny mum said.

“I found out our entitlements and where to go for help by accident. I met a woman I’d been in hospital with years earlier. She also had an autistic child and told me where to go for help and what to do.

“All parents need is a leaflet or something to tell them where to go. You find out everything by accident. John has made more progress in the past six months than he did in the previous five years.”

The Irish Autism Alliance can be contacted on 01 8531500 or The Irish Society for Autism on 01 8744684.