Cork woman urges parents to 'raise their voices' for second-level autism classes

Katie Gould said her family’s Christmas card campaign directed at the Education Minister shows what can happen when people raise their voices

(Left to right) Katie Gould and her son Charlie who has been offered a place in an autism class in Ballincollig's new secondary school, Le Chéile. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

A mother whose campaign has helped secure the first second-level autism class in her town has urged other communities facing the same problem “to raise their voices” and demand change.

Katie Gould, from Ballincollig in Cork, said she is delighted that the town's new secondary school, Le Chéile, which opened last September, will open a six-place autism class this September. Ms Gould's son Charlie, who attends an autism class in his primary school, Gaelscoil Uí Riordáin, has been offered a place.

“This is wonderful news for Charlie and the other kids to get places in that class and we definitely want to celebrate that but it’s definitely not enough,” Ms Gould said.

There are very many kids in Ballincollig who won’t be provided for. So while we are really excited and thankful, we are also very aware that the job is not done.

Ms Gould and Charlie spoke out through the Irish Examiner last December about the complete lack of appropriate second-level school places for people in the town, which has two large secondary schools, and a population of around 18,000.

“There are many families whose children are suffering because their children don’t have access to an appropriate place in school," she said.

“And if they do have access, they have to travel an hour in the morning and afternoon to get to school. We don’t want other families to go through what we’ve gone through this year.

“It would be so amazing if we could be in a situation, in Ballincollig to start with, and maybe wider, where a child with autism can go to the school that their brothers and sisters go to because there is autism provision there and that there isn’t this scramble for places. It shouldn’t be something that you have to battle for.” 

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She said her family’s campaign, which included a Christmas card campaign directed at the Education Minister signed by hundreds of people in the town, shows what can happen when people raise their voices together and lobby politicians.

“It should encourage us that we can do more if we raise our voices together - it can be very powerful,” she said.

She thanked everyone who had backed their campaign and encouraged people in other communities where there is a shortage of autism-specific school places to work together. Charlie told the Irish Examiner last year that the introduction of an autism class in his primary school has transformed his experience of school.

“It’s easier to learn because I’m not as stressed, I’m not so worried about school or about being told off," he said. 

"I know that if I get overloaded, there’s somewhere quiet I can go to settle and read. It’s so important for every school to have a unit like this.”