Schools' admission policies placing barriers to children with autism, study finds
The findings have prompted Minister for Education Helen McEntee to write to all school patron bodies requesting them to review their schools' admission policies to ensure they adhere to legal requirements.
It follows the publication on Wednesday of a review of admission policies for special classes at 30 schools – 15 primary and 15 post-primary – carried out by the Department of Education's inspectorate between September and December 2024.
The review found 'almost all' admission policies contained conditions which could limit access to appropriate education for autistic children such as requiring children to be able to participate in mainstream classes; restricting admission to children with a certain level of disability; or refusing to admit children on the basis of their potential behaviour.
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The department's chief inspector Yvonne Keating described the findings as 'concerning'.
There are more than 3,335 special classes in operation across hundreds of primary and second-level schools, catering to almost 20,000 children with autism and other conditions.
The review comes as education authorities struggle to find enough appropriate school places for rising numbers of children with a diagnosis of additional needs.
Schools are required to adhere to legal requirements, guidelines and circulars issued by the Department of Education on provision for children and young people with special educational needs.
The report emphasises the importance of schools fulfilling their legislative responsibilities in a way that ensures 'children with the greatest need have priority access to special class placements'.
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The Irish Times view on autism and education: State is still playing catch up
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Special classes for autistic children are specifically designed for those unable to access the curriculum in a mainstream class, even with support, for most or all the school day.
However, one post-primary school had a clause in its admissions stating that 'students who apply must have an ability to meaningfully participate in mainstream classes in order to be considered for enrolment in the ASD [autism spectrum disorder] class'.
In addition, some schools were found to be limiting access to enrolments based on certain levels of learning disability, such as mild, moderate or severe/profound.
In one case, a primary school's policy stated that 'if a child presents with a general learning disability, it must fall within the mild range'.
Education authorities, however, specifically state that schools should not exclude students from a special class based on their category of learning disability.
Many schools – 40 per cent of post-primary and 60 per cent of the primary schools in the study – also had clauses that prioritise students who were already enrolled in the school policies.
Other admission policies referred to the availability of resources as a potential barrier to enrolment in a special class.
In a statement, Ms McEntee said a school's admission policy was often the first point of contact between a school, prospective students and their families.
'It is vital that spaces in these classes are available to those who need them.'
In addition, she requested the inspectorate to provide an annual report on the implementation of admission policies in schools.
Privately, many school principals complain that they do not have the resources or expertise to meet the needs of children with more complex needs.
They point to 'chaotic' planning, a lack of training among teaching staff and difficulty accessing therapeutic services which are vital in many cases in fulfilling the potential of vulnerable children.
Advocacy groups for autistic children, by contrast, say families face a series of 'soft barriers' from schools and restrictive admission policies.
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