‘I’m not lazy, I’m autistic’: Young woman says she ‘thrived’ in special school

Kate Raftery, 19, from Dublin, addressed parents camping outside the Department of Education on Friday to protest over a lack of special education school places. Picture: Grainne Ni Aodha/PA

A young woman who is autistic has described how she “thrived” in a special school and how difficult it was to learn in a mainstream setting.

Kate Raftery, 19, from Ashbourne, was speaking at a 24-hour sleep out outside the Department of Education on Friday, where parents criticised the lack of special school places available for families.