Feb 1, 2019, Dublin Live: Autistic north Dublin boy forced to keep attending creche [nursery school] due to lack of school places https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/autistic-north-dublin-boy-forced-15763550 A five-year-old boy with autism still has to attend a crèche because there are no available places in any ASD units in local primary schools. Finglas lad Daniel Rock's parents are worried that they will not be able to find a place for him by September, which will set his development back a further year. … He said: "He has to move along this year. We've talked to anyone who would listen about a unit placing but there just doesn't seem to be any."… He said: "Daniel's turning six and they're basically babies that he's in with but we've no alternative. He has to stay there. A lack of places in ASD units is causing difficulty for parents across the city. "I've spoken to about 10 or 15 parents in the same situation," said Alan. "If you ring the units that are in Finglas or wherever else, they can't even put his name down on the list because there's that many kids [waiting for places]." He added: "There's more and more kids being diagnosed now and the services just aren't available." … He added: "Since 2011, the NCSE has increased the number of special classes from 548 in 2011 to 1,459 across the country now, of which 1,196 are special classes for autistic children. "The NCSE is aware of emerging need from year to year, and where special class provision is required, it is planned and established to meet that need. This process is ongoing. …
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Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.
Anne Dachel, Media editor, Age of Autism
http://www.ageofautism.com/media/
(John Dachel, Tech. assist.)
What will happen in another 4 years? How can we go on like this? This is a national (and international) problem of monumental proportions. We have an entire new class of children who cannot be accommodated by the system: many are manifestly neurologically impaired. Meanwhile, the government and the medical profession sleep on regardless.
John Stone,
UK media editor, Age of Autism
The generation of American children born after 1990 are arguably the sickest generation in the history of our country.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
It seemed to me that with rising autism prevalence, you’d also see rising autism costs to society, and it turns out, the costs are catastrophic.
They calculated that in 2015 autism cost the United States $268 billion and they projected that if autism continues at its current rate, we’re looking at one trillion dollars a year in autism costs by 2025, so within five years.
Toby Rogers, PhD, Political economist
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