Second level autism unit sought

Parents of autistic children attending the special Scoil Bhride NS autism unit have written to Cross & Passion College asking that a similar facility be put in place for the children's second level education.



The Scoil Bhride unit was established 11 years ago at the request of the Department of Education. At the time the school had spare classrooms, as development in Kilcullen had been stagnant for many years. Now it is more than full, with many temporary external classrooms and an application in for new school buildings. Fortunately, the autism unit not alone retained its accommodation, but was provided with a new special classroom last year.

The unit catered for 12 children from the beginning, with a pupil/teacher ratio of 6:1. They come from a wide area that includes Newbridge, Athy, Ballitore, Rathangan and Milltown.

Similar units have opened in Prosperous and Athy, but in the early days the Kilcullen unit even had pupils from as far away as Celbridge.

The aim of the teachers is to 'mainstream' the children as much as possible with the normal curriculum. Not an easy task in many cases, but one child who was there at the very beginning is now fully integrated into the main school classes.



Autism was first diagnosed in the 1940s, and is generally associated with socialisation and communication difficulties. Those with autism can have language difficulties, and often have problems with movement and fine motor control.

The teachers in the Scoil Bhride unit work closely with the HSE, which provides speech therapy and psychological services. Each child has an individual education plan, both short and long term, with goals and target dates for achieving them.

All are on an academic mainstream programme, but as their individual abilities in subjects don't always develop at the same rate, a child could be working at a Third Class level in English and a Junior Infants level in Maths, for instance. So, while the curriculum in the main school is generally age-related, in the autism unit it is ability-related.

Each pupil has his or her own space, a 'station' where they can work without distraction, and ideally on their own as part of a strategy to help them learn to work independently. There is also a main classroom area for activities that can be undertaken in a group.

In Scoil Bhride there's a 'buddy' system in place whereby mainstream pupils can spend time if they wish with their fellow pupils in the autism unit. Typically they might play together, or get involved in initiatives like art weeks.

Up to now, children in the unit who completed the primary cycle then went back to their home areas for second level up to age 18. Many of these went to St Anne's on the Curragh where there is a unit catering up to that age.

But now, because Kilcullen is itself getting bigger, there are already four children whose families live in the area and who need facilities here for their further education.

It makes a lot of sense that such a facility be available at a local second level school, as the main Scoil Bhride cohort would mostly be moving on to CPC, and if their autism colleagues could move with them it would help to provide the kind of constancy that is very important to people with the condition.

The ideal situation at second level would be three rooms, with a main classroom and breakout areas for individual working. Teachers trained in working with autistic children would also have to be provided.

Brian Byrne.