Half of 30 Schools Deny Autistic Children Special Class Places Due to «Unacceptable Practices»
Half of 30 reviewed schools have admission policies that could deny autistic children access to special classes, despite departmental guidance. The Department of Education is addressing these «unacceptable practices» by contacting the 15 non-compliant schools directly, following insufficient progress since a 2025 report.
A review of 30 primary and post-primary schools nationwide found that half had admission policies with conditional clauses that could prevent autistic children with high needs from accessing special classes. These clauses, deemed «unacceptable practices» by the Department of Education, include refusing enrolment based on potential behaviour, requiring parents to provide extra information, or demanding students demonstrate mainstream class participation ability before special class consideration.
These policies contradict departmental guidance and the National Council for Special Education. Despite a similar 2025 study on 30 schools revealing widespread issues, and subsequent ministerial letters and revised circulars, the 2026 review shows insufficient progress. The department is now writing directly to the boards of management of the 15 schools concerned, requesting immediate clause removal and considering further compliance measures.