Taoiseach supports bid to have autistic boy enrolled for new term

A MOTHER who has spent four months trying to find a school in which to enrol her autistic son is hopeful that the support of Taoiseach Brian Cowen will help her case in time for him to begin classes in September.

Casey Naughton was expelled from his local school in Daingean, Co Offaly, because staff were not equipped to deal with his behaviour that sometimes disrupted classes. The nine-year-old has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism which sometimes cause outbursts and tempers.

But despite his mother Lisa’s attempts to enrol him in more than 20 schools to date, none has accepted Casey for next year. She brought her frustration to Tullamore on Friday, where Mr Cowen was opening a new social welfare office, along with Social and Family Affairs Minister Mary Hanafin, who was Education Minister until two months ago.