NCSE refusal leaves non-verbal autistic boy without access to special education

Liam Ring

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has been accused of blocking students from accessing an appropriate education due to an “arbitrary deadline” brought forward this year.

It comes as the authority has refused to issue an eight-year-old non-verbal student with a 'letter of eligibility' required to access a special school place for next year, as his family applied 16 days after the new deadline passed. 

The application for a school place was made on behalf of Liam Ring, from Wicklow, by his family following a recommendation from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) in October 2025. 

As his family had waited more than a year for the Camhs appointment, they did not have the full information to make an informed decision at the time of the NCSE deadline, his father David Ring said. 

“The NCSE refuse to give this letter purely because they were contacted 16 days after a deadline that has been arbitrarily set by the NCSE.” 

Liam, is non-verbal, autistic, and has a moderate intellectual disability (ID). He currently attends an ASD class attached to a mainstream school, where he was placed three years ago before his ID diagnosis.

He has not developed at the same rate as his peers, and is “falling further and further behind them”, Mr Ring said.

Last October, after waiting more than a year for an appointment, Camhs recommended changing schools may help Liam.

After this recommendation, his family then applied to two local special schools, well-established in their communities and with deadlines to apply open until February 2026.

Both schools advised that they would be a good fit for Liam, but that they would need a ‘letter of eligibility’ from the NCSE to accompany Liam’s reports. One school advised there would be six places available this September for Liam’s age group.

His family then contacted the NCSE on October 16.

Liam Ring

While the NCSE have confirmed to the family that Liam meets the criteria for both schools, it is refusing to issue the ‘letter of eligibility’ he needs for the schools to offer him a place on the basis that the family did not contact it before the new, earlier deadline of October 1. Mr Ring said: 

This instruction blocks Liam’s applications and we are now coming up to the schools’ deadlines with no resolution.

He added it is “heart-breaking” that his son will be forced to stay in a less appropriate placement when a local school should have a place, due to “a department deadline, and nothing else".

Mr Ring, who has submitted a complaint on the behalf of his son about the process under the Equal Status Act, believes other families are facing the same situation this year.

In an update to parents published on the NCSE website on October 2, still available to access, it said it would continue to support families who made contact after the deadline to secure a special class or special school placement. 

A spokeswoman for the Department of Education said the NCSE has advised that the "majority" of students in the 'parents notify' process are "already enrolled in school and are being supported by existing special education teachers and Special Needs Assistants."

She added: "With any date for applications for supports, it is important that those who come forward after that date are assured that they are not forgotten or excluded from the system."

"The NCSE will continue to support all children made known to them after 1 October in their existing placement with appropriate supports, however, it is important for planning purposes that an earlier timeframe is worked to in which the NCSE has as much local knowledge and detail as possible in order to plan what new provision is required."

A spokesman for the NCSE said it cannot comment on individual cases.

It will consider the status of submissions received via the Parents Notify process and the ongoing supports available and “will engage with parents directly”, as necessary, he added.