AsIAm Supports Within 100km by 2030 – Ireland’s Autism Charity Launches Strategic Plan

15th January 2026: Ireland’s Autism Charity, AsIAm, launched its five-year Strategic Plan at a special event in Dublin’s Mansion House last night, committing that no Autistic person in Ireland will live more than 100 kilometres from in-person AsIAm support by 2030. The launch was attended by Minister for Children, Disability & Equality, Norma Foley TD, alongside members of the Oireachtas, policymakers, Autistic advocates and families.

The five-year strategy sets out the key strategic pillars that will guide AsIAm’s work towards an Ireland in which every Autistic person is accepted – as they are, equal, valued and respected. Developed over many months through extensive collaboration and consultation with Autistic people, families, practitioners and sector partners, the strategy responds to growing and unmet need across Irish society.

Between now and 2030, AsIAm commits to protecting the rights of Autistic people and transforming access to Autism-specific supports across education, employment, health and community life. It comes at a time of unprecedented demand, as increased recognition of Autism has not been matched by sustained investment in high-quality, neuro-affirmative supports nationwide.

By 2030, AsIAm’s vision is of an Ireland where Autistic children can access appropriate school places close to home; employers actively and measurably increase high-quality employment opportunities for Autistic people; and Autistic people are supported to participate, advocate and lead across every sector of Irish society. Central to this vision is a shift from crisis-driven responses to planned, community-based supports that are accessible, inclusive and rooted in lived experience.

Speaking at the launch, Adam Harris, CEO of AsIAm, said:

“This strategy builds on the impact of our organisation to date and responds directly to the growing and emerging barriers faced by our community. Our purpose is to support Autistic people across the life cycle and to help build an Ireland in which every Autistic person has the same chance.

Too many Autistic people and families are still waiting too long for basic supports and facing barriers to quality education, employment and community life. Our commitment that no Autistic person will live more than 100 kilometres from in-person AsIAm support is about centring lived experience and long-term wellbeing — ensuring supports are available where people live, not just where systems are centred.”

The Strategic Plan is shaped by a rapidly evolving social and policy landscape. AsIAm highlighted growing concern about the rise of misinformation about Autism, particularly online, alongside increasing pressure on public services as a generation of Autistic children age out of school and Autistic adults face barriers to diagnosis, employment and community-based supports.

The plan also reflects Ireland’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, reinforcing the need for meaningful participation by Autistic people in national decision-making and policy design.

Centred on lived experience, the strategy reflects the realities faced by Autistic people and families navigating education, health and community supports across Ireland.

Speaking at the launch, Lucinda Murrihy, parent of two Autistic children and Non-Executive Board Director of AsIAm, said:

“My children, like every Autistic child, deserve to be valued by the systems that are meant to support them, not forced to adapt to environments that were never designed with them in mind. This strategy matters because it starts from a simple but powerful truth: inclusion isn’t complex. It’s about listening, valuing lived experience, and designing supports that allow Autistic people to thrive as they are. Meaningful inclusion requires moving beyond policy to practice. When we place equal value on every child, we make better decisions — in schools, in communities and in public services. That’s what this strategy is asking Ireland to do.”

AsIAm will continue to focus on protecting the rights of Autistic people, extending the reach of its supports nationwide, building understanding across Irish society, and co-creating future-proofed solutions with Autistic people, families and sector leaders. Progress against these goals will be reviewed every six months.