Navigating the Journey of Education for a Neurotypical and Autistic Child

The first day of school is a monumental milestone for any parent. The emotions are often a mix of pride, anxiety, and hope as we watch our children take their first steps into the world of formal education. For my daughter, her first day of Junior Infants was a dream come true—a picture-perfect moment of childhood. The process leading up to that day was smooth, almost effortless. We filled out a single application, received confirmation, and prepared for her big day with excitement. However as I watched her step into her classroom, I couldn’t help but think of the stark contrast in experience when my son, began his educational journey into an autism class.

The Struggle for Access: A Battle for Basic, Constitutional Rights

For my son, the path to education was not lined with anticipation but with anxiety and uncertainty. While my daughter was welcomed into a mainstream class with open arms, securing a spot for my son in an autism class felt more like winning the lottery than exercising a basic right. The process was grueling. Myself and my wife filled out over 30 application forms, posted them, emailed them, and waited with bated breath for a response. When an autism class is full, it remains full for the entire junior cycle. The ratio for an autism class is 6 children to 1 teacher and 2 special needs assistance. This means that unlike mainstream classes, which welcome new students each year, an autism class admits only a handful of students once, leaving many others without a place. 

Our village, with its growing population, has three primary schools, but only one offers autism classes. These classes, limited to just 12 students in total, are a precious resource—one that is incredibly difficult to secure. The secondary school in our village, which also has only one autism class, will be another battleground when my son reaches that stage. The system is set up in such a way that parents of autistic children are left in a constant state of uncertainty, always bracing for the next fight to secure what should be a guaranteed right: an education suited to their child’s needs.

The Hidden Costs: Sacrifices and Struggles

The challenges don’t end with securing a school placement. As a family, we continuously battle for the services and interventions that my son needs, such as occupational therapy and speech and language therapy. The Irish Health Service, which should be a pillar of support, often feels like an obstacle course. Services through our Children’s Disability Network Team are practically nonexistent, forcing many parents, including us, to resort to legal action just to access the supports their children are entitled to.

These battles come at a cost—emotional, financial, and personal. My wife had to give up her career to become a full-time carer for our son, a role that is demanding and, in many ways, unrecognised. Even the Carer’s Allowance she receives is means-tested, adding another layer of stress to an already challenging situation. To gain access to an autism class, a clear diagnosis of autism is required. However, the process of getting a diagnosis is often a waiting game, with some parents waiting years for an assessment that legally should be completed within three months. This delay can mean that children miss out on critical early interventions and the opportunity to be placed in the correct educational setting from the start.

A Crisis Ignored: The Government’s Role in Failing Our Children

While we as parents fight these battles, it feels as though the government is standing idly by. The Irish government spends €80 million annually transporting children to schools with autism classes, rather than investing in building more schools with the necessary resources. This approach is not only inefficient but also fails to address the root of the problem: the lack of autism classes in local schools. By focusing on quick fixes rather than long-term solutions, the government is neglecting its responsibility to provide an equitable education for all children.

The Minister for Education’s priorities further highlight this disconnect. While she focuses on banning mobile phones in secondary schools—a policy that, while important, pales in comparison to the crisis facing families like mine—she ignores the urgent need to address the lack of school places for autistic children. The right to education is enshrined in our constitution, yet for parents of autistic children, this right feels more like an illusion.

The Onus on Parents: Navigating a Broken System

The burden of finding a school placement falls squarely on the shoulders of parents. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and Special Education Needs Officers (SENO) should be our guides through this complex process, but too often, we are left to navigate it on our own. The lack of clear information and support adds to the already overwhelming stress of securing an appropriate education for our children.

For parents of neurotypical children, the first day of school is a milestone, a celebration. For parents of autistic children, it is the culmination of years of struggle, uncertainty, and sacrifice. The system is not designed to support our children, and as a result, we are forced to fight for every inch of progress. Myself and my wife count ourselves as the lucky ones. The parents who despite the struggles gained a placement for our our autistic son in a local school with wonderful staff who are passionate about their jobs and providing the best quality education for our son with the same equal status of our daughter, who has started in Junior Infants in the same school. This is inclusion, this is the way the system should be. Sadly, Virgin Media will tonight highlight that this image is not the case across Ireland. We're the lucky ones. There are over 80 children both of primary and secondary school age, who are without a school placement this September. That is an educational crisis!

Different Paths, Same Rights

As I reflect on my daughter’s first day of school, I am filled with gratitude for the ease with which she was able to begin her educational journey. But I am also reminded of the stark differences between her experience and my son. Just because things are different doesn’t mean anything has changed. The fight for a child’s right to education should not be this hard, but for parents of autistic children, it is a battle we are forced to fight every day.

In sharing this story, I hope to raise awareness of the challenges faced by families like mine and to advocate for the changes that are so desperately needed. Every child, regardless of their neurodiversity, deserves an education that meets their needs. It is time for the government to stop treating autism education as an afterthought and start prioritising the future of all children.