Michael Collins warns of 27-month autism assessment delays
Michael Collins spoke about shortages of special school places and long waits for autism assessments in West Cork, saying families face waits of up to 27 months and children are denied early-stage support. He urged investment in recruitment and continuous professional development for teachers and special needs assistants to address the recruitment and retention crisis in the education disability sector.
There are nowhere near enough special school places or classes in West Cork, the speaker said, and children suspected of having autism by teachers are waiting 27 months for an assessment. He warned that these delays leave families in limbo for months and deny children early intervention that affects their mental and physical well-being.
The speaker recounted recent local battles to secure classrooms for children with special needs, saying classrooms in the local school and pantry were refused and parents had to take to the streets of pantry to win a classroom. He highlighted a threatened closure of an early intervention classroom in Kilbrittain that was only kept open after a community fight and praised teachers and fundraisers who helped sustain it.
He described a young pupil with poor handwriting who was referred to an HSE occupational therapist and seen after a 12-month wait; the OT recommended assistive technology. The school told the family the pupil still needed an educational assessment and that only one assistive-technology assessment is allowed per year, meaning the child could finish school without the support and fall behind.
The speaker concluded that investment is needed in recruitment and continuous professional development for teachers and special needs assistants so schools can meet diverse needs. He said addressing the root causes of the recruitment and retention crisis in the education disability sector is essential to stop parents and children having to constantly fight for basic supports.
Special-needs shortages in West Cork
There are nowhere near enough special school places or classes in West Cork, the speaker said, and children suspected of having autism by teachers are waiting 27 months for an assessment. He warned that these delays leave families in limbo for months and deny children early intervention that affects their mental and physical well-being.
Local campaigns to save classrooms
The speaker recounted recent local battles to secure classrooms for children with special needs, saying classrooms in the local school and pantry were refused and parents had to take to the streets of pantry to win a classroom. He highlighted a threatened closure of an early intervention classroom in Kilbrittain that was only kept open after a community fight and praised teachers and fundraisers who helped sustain it.
Case example - delayed assistive technology assessment
He described a young pupil with poor handwriting who was referred to an HSE occupational therapist and seen after a 12-month wait; the OT recommended assistive technology. The school told the family the pupil still needed an educational assessment and that only one assistive-technology assessment is allowed per year, meaning the child could finish school without the support and fall behind.
Call for workforce investment and reform
The speaker concluded that investment is needed in recruitment and continuous professional development for teachers and special needs assistants so schools can meet diverse needs. He said addressing the root causes of the recruitment and retention crisis in the education disability sector is essential to stop parents and children having to constantly fight for basic supports.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Other speeches
Tego samego dnia All speeches from this day →
Danny Healy-Rae
Danny Healy-Rae warns of Kerry mental health failings after camps
Brendan Smith
Brendan Smith demands repeal of British legacy legislation, access
Brendan Smith
Brendan Smith urges national therapy service for children in schools
Paul Murphy
Paul Murphy: Rejects Irish troop deployment, demands legacy inquiries
Richard Boyd Barrett
Richard Boyd Barrett blasts Garda refusal on Dublin Monaghan files
Richard O'Donoghue
Richard O'Donoghue Criticises New Special Needs Funding Model
Transcript
Thank you very much. There are nowhere near enough special school places or classes in West Cork in my own constituency. Children who are suspected to have autism by teachers are having to wait 27 months to get an assessment. This is a serious issue for families who are left in Limbaugh for 27 months. It is also denying the child from getting the help needed at an early stage. This affects their mental and physical well-being. Everything seems to be a fight for people who need help, the most vulnerable people in this society. Last year there were people with special needs needing a classroom. Classrooms in the local school and pantry were refused it and they had to take it to the streets of pantry to win their right to get a classroom for their children, which is terribly unfair. In Kilbrittain, not so long ago, the early intervention classroom was announced to be closed down. They had to fight to keep it open. They won the fight. But everything is a battle and there is a fight. It should not be. We should be making sure that those people are cared for first and foremost. And for the school, the early intervention classroom in Kilbrittain, well done to the teachers and everything. I even fundraised for the classroom myself, even a number of years ago. We have a young laden, just to give you one case, and I could give you loads of money, like yourselves and your own constituency, the opposite of his young laden primary school abandoned who has poor handwriting skills and was referred to the HSE occupational therapist. After 12 months waiting, he was seen and the OT recommended he have the use of an assistive technology to prevent him from falling behind. His contemporaries and his father gave the assessment to the school to be told that he will need to have an educational assessment. The school has only allowed one assessment for assistive technology per year. There are currently other students waiting for the assessment. The lad may have finished in the school without getting this assessment. So that young boy is going to end up falling behind, completely falling behind. And that is the system we have right across the board. I agree, we do need to invest in recruitment and continuous professional development for teachers and special needs assistants to ensure they are supported to meet the diverse needs of students in special classes, including and addressing the root causes of the recruitment and retention crisis in the education disability sector.