| There may be countries in the world where it is | | | | than ten years later still lack even the most basic |
| more difficult to be born with autism, but there | | | | provision of appropriate services such as fully |
| are few in Western Europe, or indeed the | | | | trained teachers, access to speech and language |
| developed world, that are worse than Ireland. Until | | | | therapy, occupational therapy, behaviour |
| the recent past Ireland enjoyed a period of | | | | specialists, psychologists, and trained classroom |
| economic prosperity unrivaled in any country. | | | | assistants. Only a handful of the many classes |
| Zero unemployment, monumental levels of | | | | established have these services and the current |
| development, a financial surplus in the government | | | | budget cuts make it likely that those having them |
| coffers year after year, with the result that little | | | | will lose them in the next year or two. |
| was spent in any thoughtful way on the education | | | | Children and adolescents with autism who are |
| of children and adolescents with autism. There is | | | | being educated in these classes in primary schools |
| an absolute disinterest on the part of Ireland's | | | | find it nearly impossible to enroll in a secondary |
| politicians to care about people with autism. | | | | school in Ireland. Most secondary schools will not |
| Over the past twelve years nearly one hundred | | | | accept them. Those secondary schools with |
| or more people were compelled to take cases | | | | special units for autism manage to exclude more |
| before the High Court to try and get an | | | | than 80% of students seeking enrollment. There |
| appropriate education for their autistic children. | | | | is wide-scale bias when assessing children with |
| The result of these cases was a near universal | | | | autism which results in statements being made to |
| agreement on the part of the government to | | | | the effect they have very low levels of |
| make promises about extra classes, teachers, | | | | intelligence when anyone knowing these children |
| and related services. In large part most of these | | | | realises their intelligence is much higher. |
| promises have gone unfulfilled. It is not just the | | | | The entire situation is shocking and parents are |
| case that the government doesn't care; it doesn't | | | | left to fight for entitlements which are written in |
| care one way or the other. | | | | a variety of "guidelines" having absolutely no legal |
| After losing so many cases in the courts the | | | | backing. The law does not protect these children, |
| Department of Education and Science established | | | | the government does not protect these children. |
| a number of special classes for children with | | | | Who will protect them and see they get a proper |
| autism in primary schools. These classes, more | | | | education in Ireland? |