Autistic children's parents in Dáil protest

Parents of autistic children campaigning to keep their youngsters in a special school today took their protests to the Dáil.

Nine youngsters attending St Catherine’s ABA School in Barnacoyle, Co Wicklow, will be left with nowhere to go when funds raised for their education runs out next week.

The children have been attending the pre-school since September, with their social skills and behaviour exceeding all expectations in that time.

But parents now fear that without continuous one to one specialist care, they will regress and possibly never attend mainstream school or integrate with society.

“We hope common sense will prevail,” said Trevor Dagg, whose three-year-old daughter Robyn will be one of the children affected.

“When our daughter was diagnosed with autism we were devastated, but we found a service for her and in a very short period of time I have seen a significant improvement in her.

“Barnacoyle has been a fantastic find for us. The care, support and professional service provided has been excellent. To lose it after working so hard to get her in would not only be devastating for our daughter but soul destroying for us.”

Just two years ago the pre-school was set up as a centre of excellence for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), offering specialised applied behavioural analysis (ABA) to youngsters. There are only 12 ABA schools nationwide.

It currently has 16 pupils, with St Catherine’s raising funds of the intake of nine new students in September. Last month, parents were notified no additional state funding had been received to cover the unsanctioned students beyond March 31. It feared it may one day close.

The Barnacoyle Parents’ Group is petitioning Mary Hanafin, minister of the Department of Education and Science, to fund their places.

Their demonstration outside was supported by members of Irish Autism Action, who has vowed to set up an appeal fund to try and keep the youngsters in pre-school.

Parents argue that it has been scientifically proven that early intervention and ABA teaching is critical to the children’s developmental outcome and, in the long term, saves money for government keeping those with autism out of residential care and fully integrated them with their local community.

“ABA is the most effective way for a child with autism,” said Sheena Byrne, whose young son could be left with no schooling.

“It helps the development of a child academically and socially so they can interact with people in their surroundings. It will be extremely detrimental for all of the children if they have to be kept at home. They will regress.”

Joe and Joanne Kelly said staff who teach their son excel in their field, and the pre-school is needed to give him any chance of ever entering mainstream education.

Warren O’Toole and Patricia Fitzpatrick, of Arklow, had hoped their three-year-old son Alex (O’Toole) would one day attend St Catherine’s. The youngster, who also suffers from Down’s Syndrome, has been on the school’s waiting list since June.

Cormac Rennick, Chairman of Irish Autism Action, said the millions of euros being spent by the department fighting court cases over the education of students with special needs could have funded the school.

“It defies belief we have to stand outside parliament and lobby in this fashion,” said Mr Rennick. “Children in Wicklow deserve the same education as children anywhere else.”