NEWS SPECIAL: Autism support - Eternal struggle for many

TO THE passing eye, the IRD building in Kiltimagh is forgettable, but in reality it has a few stories to tell, of an eagerly anticipated future and of a dream that has been and gone.

First, and most eye-catching, is the mosaic called “Past and Present” and headlined “The 21st Century”, depicting space shuttles and aeroplanes, as well as steam trains and long ships. Unveiled in 2000, it is located on one of the front walls looking out onto the main street, but around the back is a much smaller display, a little sign that tells of another drama.

The sign is for the Áthas ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) school for autistic children, a dedicated facility in the Co Mayo town that offered intensive one-on-one tuition and which was the result of the blood, sweat, and tears of a group of families who paid for almost all of it themselves. And now it’s gone.