'I have cried myself to sleep': Families of children with autism challenge school refusals
Parents Claire Madden, Mary Hickey, Tim Madden, and Aisling Henebry at their press conference on Lapps Quay, Cork, yesterday where they detailed the challenges they face, and vowed to appeal the refusal of secondary school places for their respective children. Picture: Dan Linehan
Three sets of parents of children with autism said they fear their kids will regress after being refused school places in September despite a Government pledge to deliver more places in Cork.
They have pleaded with the education minister to intervene to secure a school place for their children, and they criticised the department for failing to plan for the timely delivery of enough senior special school places to meet demand.
The parents confirmed that they are each now taking separate but similar Section 29 appeals to the department in a bid to secure their children’s right to an education.
Mary and Eugene Hickey, Aisling and Conor Henebry, and Claire and Tim Madden spoke out yesterday as their children prepare to graduate from Cara junior school on the city’s northside, which provides special education to children aged five to 12, with autism and mild or moderate learning difficulties.
Scoil Cara was established in Mayfield in 2011 following a decision to divide Scoil Triest into a junior and a senior cycle.
Both schools are under the patronage of the Brothers of Charity.
Scoil Cara started with 30 pupils but enrolment has doubled in a decade to 60. Scoil Triest, based at Lota, caters for kids aged 12 to 18 with the same special needs.
It has an enrolment of 72 and has told the parents it is at capacity. Just 10 spaces will become available — but there are 30 children on its waiting list.
The Brothers of Charity told parents that there is just no space available to facilitate a physical expansion of the school, and they are very disappointed that children have been left without school places.
Last April, education minister Norma Foley, and special education minister, Josepha Madigan, announced the creation of 60 new special senior school places in Cork this September through a new 48-place special school to be set up in the existing Gaelscoil building in Carrigaline, and 12 more places to be provided through a change to the designation of St Mary’s Special School in Rochestown.
The department said priority will be given to the children who currently do not have an offer of a school place for next September.
However, the parents said there is huge uncertainty over the projects, and they still don't know if their kids will get one of the school places.
They are being supported by former Lord Mayor, Chris O’Leary, who said mounting a Section 29 appeal is the last resort.
The Hickeys’ son, Andy, 12, has a dual diagnosis of autism and intellectual disability.
Eugene said: “He keeps talking about going to a new school in September but we don’t know where he’s going. We are devastated.”
Mary said Andy's three older sisters progressed from primary to secondary without an issue.
“They excelled in education and the kids that need the most help, like Andy, are being left on the margins," she said:
“I am devastated because I can see his potential and I can see how detrimental it will be for him if he doesn’t get the access to the education that he needs.”
Eugene said: “If it wasn’t Andy it was going to be some other child. We are doing this for all the children coming behind Andy.”
Aisling Henebry, whose daughter, Kayla, 11, has a dual diagnosis of autism and moderate intellectual disability, said she was devastated and heartbroken when she was told her daughter doesn’t have a school place in September:
"She will regress. She will lose all the life skills that she has learned, she will lose all her social interaction with the other kids,” she said.
And after a year like no other, she said the school place issue has created huge additional stress and worry.
“I haven’t slept. I have been constantly worried. I have cried myself to sleep, all for a school place for my child,” she said.
“It’s just not fair. They need to tell us what’s going on — a simple phone call, a simple letter or an email just to say your child will attend X school and will start there in September. That’s all we want — just confirmation they have a place.
“The most vulnerable kids are always the ones who are left behind and it’s the parents that have to put up the constant fight.”
The Maddens, whose daughter, Abbey, 12, has an intellectual disability with mild autism, said they are angry and frustrated.
“Most kids can move from junior to senior cycle with no issues but for our children, with special needs, there are no school places available at the moment,” Tim said:
Claire said they are taking this stand not just for Abbey.
“We are doing it for the other children coming up behind her because there are so many children being diagnosed with autism, with intellectual disabilities, and they have no school places and the waiting lists are getting longer and longer,” she said.
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