Father 'immensely relieved' autistic son received school place after 11-month battle
The teenager missed out on the first three weeks of term and his parents worried he would regress without a structured routine
A father is “immensely relieved” his autistic son has received a school place after an 11-month battle.
Greg and Celine Lewis, from Finglas, North Dublin, have spent the last year worrying about their 13-year-old son Sam who is non-verbal and has been refused by 16 different schools.
The teenager missed out on the first three weeks of term and his parents worried he would regress without a structured routine. Greg, who works as a special needs assistant, had to take time off work to homeschool him.
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However, on Friday evening, they finally received the news they had been waiting a year for that Sam has secured a place in An Cosan Community Special School, Grangegorman, North Dublin.
While Greg said they are delighted, he added: “It’s a move by the Department thinking I’m going to go away but the fight will continue for every special needs child. I will be as vocal for them as I am for my own.
“We are also still fighting for Sam to be in his community, Grangegorman is not that. But we have some kind of guarantee from the NSCE [National Council for Special Education] that they will fight to open autism classes within communities so our kids can go there rather than go outside.”
Since this term began and despite Greg’s best efforts, he was terrified he would regress without a proper routine and a teacher. He also worried for the children he helps, who would have had a substitute special needs assistant while he was at home.
Speaking to the Irish Mirror before Sam was offered a place, Greg said: “I have to go sick to look after my child which means you [the Government] have to employ someone to look after the kids I should be looking after.”
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