Parents distraught as teaching assistance for autistic students is cut

PARENTS of over 100 children with autism have been informed by schools this week that their teaching assistance hours are being cut — on the orders of the National Council for Special Education.

Autism support services around the country have accused the council and the Department of Education of “gross hypocrisy” and of deliberately informing parents after the Dáil went on summer recess. They say the children badly need the extra help.

According to the Irish Progressive Association for Autism (IPAA), children from Dublin, Limerick, Kerry, Cork and Waterford have been told in recent days that their special needs assistant (SNA) hours in mainstream schools were being halved in some cases.