Tipperary parents call out for additional ASD units in secondary schools

The lack of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Units in Secondary Schools is not a new concern for parents in Tipperary, but it is one that is at the forefront of minds as we grow closer to the Local Elections and the formation of a new Tipperary County Council.

In 2017, TD Alan Kelly commented: “I have a number of parents who are struggling to get their children into an ASD class despite it being clear that this is the best choice for their children.”

“They are willing to go to the ends of the earth in order to help their children and travel long distances to get to a designated school but even with such sacrifices there are some who cannot get a place.”

It seems that despite efforts to find a solution, this problem remains unsolved.

One parent recently spoke out about the issue: “What I would like to see highlighted with the next council would be increasing the ASD unit places in secondary school.”
“My son is in 5th class in an ASD unit and has already been told that there will not be a place for him in one when he goes into 1st year and he does not qualify for an SNA. I am not the only parent in this situation and I feel this needs to be highlighted as it’s affecting their right to education.”

Another mother added, “Recently we attended the opening nights for the secondary schools in our area. My child has a place in the autism class in primary school and obviously will need a place in an autism class for secondary school.”

“However, when we attended both Nenagh college and Borrisokane school opening nights it was very clear that no spaces were available in any autism class. This was very upsetting for both children and parents attending on the night.”

On the campaign trail, several Nenagh election candidates have had parents personally asking for help.

Sinn Fein candidate, Damian O’Donoghue said, “There is a feeling among parents of autistic children that their voices are not being heard. Tipperary needs more ASD units at secondary level and this investment can’t come fast enough.”

Cllr Seamus Morris met with concerned parents in recent weeks to try and tackle the issue. He commented, “Autism has come up an awful lot while I’ve been out canvassing. I would have thought we had a lot of room in secondary schools but it seems this is far from the case. If I’m reelected, one of the first things I’ll be doing is calling a meeting on this matter.”

“The situation these parents are in at the moment is just not right and we need to look at how we’re treating people with autism.”

One mother who was part of the group of parent’s that met with Cllr Morris said, “My son will be trying to get a place in an ASD class next year. We live just outside of Nenagh but despite there being an ASD class in Nenagh College, there’s not enough spaces to meet the needs so we may end up having to go as far as Borrisoleigh or Limerick to find a space as he would not manage in mainstream.”

“I don’t feel it’s fair that kids with additional needs may be forced to travel for school when they could be going to their local ones. It’s unfair that the level of choice has been removed from them. We just have to go wherever there’s a space rather than being able to choose.”

The most recent report by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) shows that there are 76 “special classes” throughout primary schools in Tipperary but just 44 in secondary schools in the county. This figure is up from the 2022/2023 report which has the same figures at 71 and 35 respectively, so it seems that things are headed in the right direction despite getting there at a slower pace for what seems to be an urgent need according to these concerned parents.

This issue is not one faced solely by the parents of Tipperary as it has been raised in several other counties throughout the country in the first half of this year alone. Similar reports have been raised in Cork, Laois and Meath among other areas so it is certainly a national concern.

The parents of these children have expressed gratitude to their children’s primary schools as well and teachers for the work they do and the great help they provide. However, they will continue to push for this situation to be resolved and are hopeful that the incoming council will prioritise their concerns for their children.