Aug 31, 2017, (Portlaoise, Ireland) Leinster Express: Laois family wait over four years for occupational therapy http://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/home/267906/laois-family-wait-over-four-years-for-occupational-therapy.html A Portlaoise family, with two sons on the autism spectrum, has been on the HSE waiting list for occupational therapy (OT) for four years. Orlaith O'Reilly has two sons with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and another child who is not on the autism spectrum.... 1058 children wait in Laois This comes as 1058 children between the ages of 5 and 18 wait over one year for their first occupational therapy assessment in Laois.

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.