‘Autism is the forgotten disability’

DEIRDRE BOURKE is one of many parents who day in, day out, fight a lone, wearying battle to care for an autistic child.

Patrick, the youngest of five children, was diagnosed nearly three years ago. Since then Deirdre has done everything humanly possible to get basic services for Patrick.

At home in Limerick, Deirdre, who has four older daughters, said: “If only I could get him occupation therapy and speech therapy. But we cannot get these basic services for him. The system has failed him. Autism seems to be the forgotten disability in this country.”

As Patrick is now six, he is considered ready to enter mainstream education. Yet Patrick has only a few words.

His mother fears mainstream education could be disastrous and is not an option for Patrick. As it is, she has to keep a constant watch on him at their home in Singland.

Doors and windows have to be kept locked at all times.

Deirdre and three other Limerick parents with autistic children decided to set up their own special school in October 2003 and rented a house in Raheen.

“We decided to set up an ABA [applied behavioural analysis] school named Bluebell and Paul O’Connell the rugby player opened it for us and each child has an individual tutor. And in the 18 months each of the children has come on. Patrick couldn’t speak at all before going there.”

The centre now cares for four children, but Deirdre said they have to go cap in hand fundraising to keep it going due to the shortfall in public funding.

They have received support from Dóchas and they have received grant aid from the Department of Education to pay for tutors.

“It’s a struggle to keep going. The house alone costs €12,000 a year to rent,” she said.