AsIAm, Ireland’s Autism Charity, welcomes the publication of the Department of Education Inspectorate’s report, “Supporting All Children and Young People to Access an Appropriate Education”, published on 7 May 2025. The report provides an important spotlight on the admission policies and practices of some schools, particularly schools which have an Autism class open.
Autistic young people and their families apprise AsIAm regularly of the practical and procedural challenges they encounter when trying to secure an appropriate school placement. The Inspectorate’s findings confirm that, too often, admission policies can include exclusionary criteria—such as discriminatory codes of behaviour, updated diagnostic documentation requirements or a lack of resources that disproportionately affect Autistic students with higher levels of support needs. Such practices are reflective of a school system that is not inclusive or in keeping with the spirit of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRDP). We commend the report for documenting these issues and for recognising the inconsistency and lack of oversight in how such policies are applied across schools. We must remove the inherent prejudicial practices that exist within these policies.
We welcome the "Next Steps" section of the report, which sets out a clear path for reform, including improved policy guidance, training for boards of management, and enhanced monitoring of school admissions. These steps are vital to ensuring that the education system becomes truly inclusive and reflective of the diversity of student needs in Ireland.
However, we do wish to express some concern regarding the report’s references to eligibility criteria for Autism class placements. It is important to maintain the integrity of accessing an Autism class which has a particularly defined criterion. It is important the eligibility and the use of these classes are used for the students who have a particular recommendation for same.
No child should be denied the opportunity to learn and thrive because of how their needs are defined or how systems interpret those needs. Finally, we also welcome calls from the Minister for Education who called for a review of all school’s admissions policies with an Autism class.
