Cllr: Autism unit stalemate 'a disgrace'

A Navan councillor has sharply criticised the failure by clerical authorities at St Oliver Plunkett National School in Navan to sanction the opening of a unit for children with autism at the school. Labour councillor Anton McCabe said that it was 'a disgrace' that the parents of children with autism had had to go to the lengths of campaigning on the streets of Navan to look for support to highlight their plight. 'This is an example where the power of the collar supercedes the needs of the children at St Oliver"s. It begs the question - should the clergy be involved in the education of our children?' Cllr McCabe has been part of the campaign to secure the unit. He said he is angry that the only obstacle to the unit opening is the 'stroke of a pen by Bishop Smith'. He urged the bishop to facilitate the provision of the unit. The unit has already been sanctioned by the Department of Education and Science. Mr McCabe said that St Oliver"s has been operating with a 'one-man board of management' for a number of years and claims that this is at the root of the problem. 'Bishop Smith has refused to engage with the parents or The Autism Society of Ireland, other than to propose the setting up of an autism unit at St Paul"s National School at Abbeylands. The parents of the seven children diagnosed with autism recognise that moving to another school is not an option as the children are in a comfort zone at St Oliver"s and unfamiliar people and surroundings could be detrimental to their welfare,' said the Labour Party councillor. He went on: 'This is not democracy, it is dictatorship. Unfortunately, children are the victims of it.' He said that he was calling on the bishop to engage with the group to resolve the conflict and have the autism unit up and ready for the new school term this September. Parents of children with autism gathered outside the school last month to gather signatures for a petition to Bishop Smith. They said that they gained the support, not only of parents of children with autism, but many other parents at the school. Parents organising the petition said the Department of Education and Science had signed off on the setting up of the unit some months ago. However, they say that they have not been able to make progresas in persuading the school authorities to put the unit in place. Early this year, the Department"s educational psychologist recommended that a number of the children being dealt with in the school"s emotionally disturbed behaviour unit should be removed from the unit and dealt with in a different manner. The psychologist expressed concern that these pupils were copying the behaviour of the seriously emotionally disturbed children in the unit. It was felt that since the other children had been diasgnosed with varying degrees of autism spectrum disorder, it was more appropriate that they be educated in a separated autistic unit. The Department"s special educational needs officer for the area proposed that an autism unit could be set up in St Oliver"s at minimal cost to the State. The proposal was discussed at a meeting between the official, the school principal John Hand, the school manager Fr Brendan Ludlow, and the home school liaison officer. No decision was made at this meeting and the manager said he needed to consult with the patron, Bishop Smith. about the matter. He reported back that the patron was not willing to act on the proposal and instead suggested the setting up of a unit for children with autism at St Paul"s National School.