Autism: Why are so many children being diagnosed these days?
As many as one in 20 schoolchildren in Ireland may have autism or similar developmental issues, studies suggest
Adam Harris
Schools’ rules are discriminatory to autistic pupils, says autism charity
AsIAm warns outdated codes of behaviour and lack of understanding of autism is leading to children being physically restrained, suspended and expelled
Calls to pause rollout of controversial changes to teaching hours for vulnerable pupils
Campaigners warn that one in three schools will lose support for disabled children while others would gain enhanced hours
RTÉ Investigates: Ireland’s Unregulated Psychologists – Devastating public service broadcasting
Television: One quibble aside, this is a shocking and important exposé of the exploitation of vulnerable families by charlatans
Up to 80 children with special needs in Dublin without school places
Taoiseach apologises to family without appropriate education for seven years
Litigation risk over school places for special needs pupils, internal records show
Children ‘pushed’ into special classes, department warns
Schools will be allowed ‘bank’ special education hours lost to Covid
Change of department policy prompted by absent pupils and need to redeploy teachers
Changes to close contact rules for under-13s sparks ‘consternation’
Teachers and principals note ‘confusion’ as no detailed guidance on how changes will work
Lessons learned: How to improve our education system post-pandemic
Sudden lockdown shone a light on a creaking education system, we can use what we have learned to make it better
How the digital world has given some people voices – and taken others’ away
For people with special needs, digital communication is a force for both exclusion and inclusion
Parents’ alarm over low take-up of summer catch-up programme for vulnerable pupils
Government says it is working with schools to provide necessary resources and supports
Covid catch-up classes: ‘The chequebook must be opened to make this happen’
Ambitious education programme vital to support pupils with special needs – AsIAm
Class ‘key factor’ behind reluctance of schools to enrol autistic pupils
Few special classes provided in wealthy parts of south Dublin, Oireachtas committee hears
Data Protection Commission to contact Department of Health over dossiers on children with autism
Department kept dossiers for use in legal cases, RTÉ documentary to report
Schools reopen but students with additional needs ‘left behind’, say groups
Autism charity criticises ‘half-baked’ plans for phased return to in-person teaching
Summer school plan unveiled for less well off affected by closures
Advocacy groups urge expanded scheme for July and August in response to disruption
Government abandons plans to reopen special schools this week
Unions ‘refused to accept advice provided by public health specialists’, says Norma Foley
Special school pupils to return on alternate days from Thursday
INTO says reopening will depend on ‘improvement in public health landscape’
Reopening schools for special needs pupils to be prioritised, says Minister
Plans being examined to provide support for vulnerable families during school closures
Call to vaccinate special education staff to speed up schools reopening
Foley to meet advocacy groups amid fears school closures could last months
Government to focus on special needs supports while schools remain closed – Donohoe
‘Sense of devastation’ for families as classes ‘stripped away’, says head of autism support charity
Special schools and classes likely to remain open for vulnerable children
Ombudsman says blanket closure of schools is ‘not a viable option’
Vulnerable children ‘losing out’ on vital supports since schools reopened - poll
Survey finds many have reduced access to SNAs due to Covid-19 restrictions
Face mask rules pose ‘huge challenge’ for autistic pupils
Polls shows parents worried over lack of clarity on how children will be supported
Leo Cullen says rotation will be key as Leinster look to keep on winning
‘We hopefully won’t have that many weekends off because we want to continue to win games’
School return to prove particularly challenging for children with autism
Autism support charity As I Am has produced a useful booklet – Bridge Back to School – to help with the transition
Autism provision is blocked by lack of partnership and investment
Everyone agrees that children with autism have a right to education. Underfunded, overcrowded schools need significant investment to provide it
Schools in affluent areas of south Dublin resisting special classes, say campaigners
Department of Education compels 39 schools in area to open classes for children with autism
Reopening could be very stressful for children with autism
Preparing children with special needs for school in September has to start now
Summer scheme to bridge education gap for special-needs children
Rising concern over vulnerable children losing key skills due to school closures
McHugh insists summer programme will not exclude children with disabilities
Campaigners express alarm that plans could exclude thousands of vulnerable children
Resistance to special classes risks creating ‘segregated’ school system
Department of Education inspectors find many schools use restrictive enrolment
Families of special needs children struggling at home
Parents fear long-term school closures will rob children of their full potential
Government shelves controversial changes to SNA supports for schoolchildren
Support groups had opposed move over fears it would dilute support for vulnerable pupils
Changes to SNA supports may be ‘Trojan horse’ for cuts, say school campaigners
Department of Education insists no school will lose out next year under new reforms
We are failing too many children with disabilities in mainstream schools
I want a totally inclusive approach to education – but it won’t be cheap, fast or easy
Special needs teachers used for mainstream classes in breach of rules
Campaigners say vulnerable children are losing out on vital supports as a result
Schools to be banned from asking about children’s disabilities by 2021
Any move to close special schools and classes will require ‘careful consideration’
‘Autism-friendly’: Towns seek status in bid to build more caring society
Criteria include proof of infrastructure, lead roles for people with autism, and local partnerships
No figures on shortage of special needs school places, says McHugh
Lack of official engagement a central challenge for families, says charity
Shot of reality: As vaccinations decline, Miriam O’Callaghan injects some sense
Radio Review: Guests on RTÉ and Newstalk’s Pat Kenny Show have no truck with anti-vaxxers
At least 35 Dublin workers out of pocket as UK company falls into administration
Hashtag Hotels had leased student accommodation to re-let as holiday rentals
Boy with autism ‘regressed’ due to refusal of school-bus place
Autism advocacy charity says move ‘breaches spirit of Act’ aimed at protecting boy
Hundreds of children with autism, special needs without appropriate school places
Total of 384 children are in receipt of home tuition grants, latest figures show
Vulnerable children as young as four placed on reduced school timetables
Some children with behavioural problems face school day of just an hour a day
Special needs assistants to seek higher pay for more responsibilities
Fórsa says role of SNAs likely to be broadened under reforms
Hundreds of ‘invisible’ children excluded from education – report
Children with autism have been expelled or withdrawn due to inadequate supports, say families
‘My child was expelled at six. We’re in 2019... Our children are invisible’
Hundreds of children with autism are being failed by the State education system
Irish positive about autistic people but knowledge inadequate, survey finds
One in four people know of an autistic person among their friends, research reveals
ASTI under fire for refusal to implement plans for students with disabilities
Teachers union’s move condemned as ‘truly shocking discrimination’
Health Board: Upcoming conferences, talks, campaigns and events
Cancer research, mental health, premature birth and bereavement on the agenda
Health Board: Upcoming conferences, talks, campaigns and events
Post-stroke fatigue, November the month for remembrance and autism support
Hundreds of autistic teenagers in ‘inappropriate’ schools
‘Urgent need’ to invest in secondary school places for such children, warns campaigner
DCU set to become world’s first ‘autism friendly’ university
New initiative to help students diagnosed with autism to achieve their potential
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