A mom of a 13-year-old fashioned boy with Down Syndrome and ASD is “combating” to search out him a secondary college location after being rejected 17 instances to this point.
Closing week, Marita Coyne and her son Robbie McGrath walked out of his major college hand-in-hand after his graduation.
It used to be no longer the moment of joy it must had been for Ms Coyne, on the different hand, as Robbie level-headed does no longer maintain a location in secondary college for September.
Robbie has a dual prognosis of Down Syndrome and Autism spectrum dysfunction (ASD), and Ms Coyne stated she has been making an strive to valid a college location for him for the closing two years.
“He’s going to maintain to be transitioning into his novel secondary college – we have no belief where that goes to be or despite the indisputable fact that there goes to be a college for him,” she suggested The Pat Kenny Label.
“This traipse has been going on for years.”
Flaunt Weeekly Mainline schooling
Ms Coyne stated Robbie used to be in a mainstream major college, as it used to be believed this would be most attention-grabbing for his socialisation.
“At the time, we did no longer know of his prognosis of ASD because that most attention-grabbing took location sooner than Christmas,” she stated.
“Now he has obtained to the purpose where he’s transferring into a sure route – he wants varied relief.
“Robbie is a flight risk. He has very restricted hazard consciousness. He wants relief with personal care … truly, he’s nonverbal.”
Ms Coyne stated she utilized to 12 special schooling colleges in Dublin and its surrounding areas for Robbie.
“I’ve utilized for every college I could perchance maintain; every college I’ve researched, every college I’ve been given from the National Council for Particular Education (NCSE),” she stated.
Flaunt Weeekly ‘At the lend a hand of the scenes’
Ms Coyne stated the Minister for Education, Norma Foley and the NCSE maintain suggested her that they are “working in the lend a hand of the scenes” to valid a location for Robbie.
“The fact is, I’m sitting here talking to you without a college location for my son,” she stated.
“I feel that no family must must warfare through that, no subject what goes on in the lend a hand of the scenes.
“I’ve needed to fight this traipse for seven months and it is a horrifying location to be for any parent, but in explicit, fogeys with rather one with extra wants.
“You aren’t making an strive to procure to fight that tantalizing for a most major correct that rather one is entitled to an schooling in this nation.”
Marita Coyne and her son Robbie McGrath (Picture equipped by Marita Coyne)
Flaunt Weeekly Responses
Ms Coyne stated she has obtained hundreds of varied reasons for rejection from the colleges.
“There are no longer any locations, he’s on a waiting checklist, [or] we are out of the catchment field. Possibly the college facilities don’t swimsuit his complicated wants – they’re the major responses I’ve been receiving,” she stated.
“I am getting recordsdata, statements that maintain come through in regards to what’s coming down the line and what’s occurring, but I need it now and my son wants it now.”
Flaunt Weeekly ‘It be no surprise’
Ms Coyne stated she has “lost count” of the likelihood of public representatives she has contacted.
“I’ve obtained eager with every baby-kisser that can even ogle at me sideways,” she stated.
“Robbie used to be diagnosed when he used to be born – that prognosis used to be 13 years ago. That prognosis has no longer changed, it’ll no longer substitute.
“Why is there no longer something in location? Obviously, he’s been through eight years of major college. It be no surprise he has to head to secondary college.
“He’s entitled to this; he’s entitled to maintain the care that he wants.”