Parents’ bid to get grant for son with special needs

THE parents of a boy, aged 4, submitted a com- plaint to the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO), raising concerns that their child, who was diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder and a moderate intellectual disorder, had been refused at short notice a Home Tuition Grant (HTG) for the coming school year, as the Department of Education& had stated that a placement was available for him in a mainstream primary school.

The complaint contend- ed the placement in the school was unsuitable for the child’s needs as he was a non-verbal child, not yet toilet-trained, suffered from a feeding disorder and had temper and screaming tantrums when agitated and frustrated.

The complainants stated that the primary school was over 25 miles away from the family home and unfeasible for their son at his stage of development.