Parents in row with O’Keeffe over exemption of autism school

PARENTS at a school for children with autism are in dispute with Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe over what they claim is the exclusion of their school from talks for formal Government recognition.

The Department of Education is in negotiations with Irish Autism Action about the recognition of 13 pilot centres teaching autistic children predominantly through applied behavioural analysis (ABA). While the department normally only funds special schools using a mix of ABA and other methods, it is close to finalising arrangements to formalise recognition of the ABA schools with one of the main issues being the qualifications of teaching staff.

However, parents whose children are being taught through ABA at a centre in Barnacoyle, Co Wicklow, claim they are the only ABA school excluded from the talks. Among the 30 pupils at the centre is eight-year-old Seán O Cuanacháin, whose parents are awaiting the hearing of a Supreme Court appeal into their failed High Court bid two years ago to have his ABA education funded by the State.

“Barnacoyle is the only ABA school that was in existence at commencement of negotiations to be so excluded. We have tried to lobby and find a solution behind the scenes in the past months but Minister O’Keeffe confirmed last week that Barnacoyle is excluded,” said Barnacoyle Parents Group in a statement.

“This vindictive exclusion of our children from these vital negotiations leaves certain senior officials in the department open to the accusation of penalising these children because of the public stand taken by their parents in highlighting the need for an ABA school in Co Wicklow,” they said.

But Mr O’Keeffe said the centre is not involved in the discussions because it is part of a larger centre, St Catherine’s Special School in Newcastle, Co Wicklow, which is funded to provide education for children with a moderate, severe or profound general learning disability or who have autism.

“The special school has department recognition, an ABA school did not exist so therefore they could not be part of any negotiations that would have taken place,” he said.

The minister said the talks have been ongoing since late 2007 and it was surprising that it was only coming to parents’ attention this year that Barnacoyle or St Catherine’s were not involved. He said agreement has been reached on core conditions to enable the 13 centres to be recognised as special schools for children with autism, and discussions are continuing about existing contractual arrangements.