Labour attacks Hanafin on ABA autistic education

EDUCATION Minister Mary Hanafin is “ignorant to the point of pigheadedness” about the value of ABA education for autistic children, claimed Labour last night.

In a blunt attack, Labour TD Liz McManus said the Government’s resistance to ABA appeared to arise “from vindictiveness and penny-pinching”. ABA, or applied behaviour analysis, is a form of specialised education which has proved effective for many autistic children. The Government funded 12 ABA schools on a pilot basis but will not fund additional ABA schools as its policy is now focused on educating autistic children in special classes in mainstream schools.

Earlier this month, the co-author of a government taskforce report on autism criticised this approach as “grossly misguided”.