Hello, and welcome to Our Week Online. This week Ireland became the second country in the world to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency. It’s safe to say that the deputies involved would not have been so moved without the tireless advocacy and activism of a young autistic woman, and her millions of followers around …
Yesterday Minister for Education Joe McHugh TD published a statement reminding schools and patrons nationwide of their responsibilities under admissions laws to provide specialist school places for children and young people with special needs. This statement came just a few hours after the morning’s protest by nationwide campaign group Enough Is Enough – Every Voice …
As we come to the end of World Autism Month 2019, autistic advocate and Tipperary GAA supporter Kevin Hanly looks back at the month and how things have changed for autistic people, and shares his journey to self-belief and confidence (featuring the Tipperary footballers)! “The Tipp Footballers are a big part of my success” As …
Kevin Hanly – The Achievements That Can Be Made With Being Autistic!Read More »
In light of the recent publication of our Invisible Children report on School Absence and Withdrawal among autistic children in Ireland, and the lack of engagement from the Department of Education and Skills on this matter and on barriers to education for autistic students, we are excited to support the Enough is Enough – Every …
You may have met Autistic Paddies at our last National Autism Conference last October, the Facebook group for autistic adults aged 18+ from or based in Ireland that’s on the rise. In this blog, group facilitator and moderator Joan McDonald talks us through her own autism diagnosis, her search for community in Ireland, and how …
In AsIAm we aim to make society universally accessible for autistic people. This would be a society where autistic people are automatically accepted and understood and where all services are designed in a manner which everyone can access without the need for disclosure. That said, we realise that at present this is far from reality …
April is World Autism Month! That means many people will be talking about autism in the media, in government, and in your community. Some people might use the colour blue at autism-related events, like “Light It Up Blue” or blue ribbons. Some people might use symbols of puzzle pieces (from a jigsaw) in posts about …
On Tuesday evening, Sinn Féin used their Private Members’ time to submit a motion to establish an All-Party Oireachtas Committee on Autism. This Committee would have the explicit aim to develop an Autism Empowerment Strategy, and associated legislation, within a six-month timeframe. AsIAm has been engaging with several political parties and members of the Oireachtas …
Explainer: What Happens Now after the Dáil’s Autism Motion?Read More »
Tomorrow evening, Sinn Féin will be submitting a Private Member’s Bill to establish an All-Party Oireachtas Committee on Autism to mark World Autism Day. This is the first of its kind in Ireland and calls for the development and implementation of an interdepartmental Autism Empowerment Strategy. This Strategy will seek to assess current shortcomings from …
This week AsIAm launched a new Resource Pack for Primary and Secondary Schools to facilitate understanding and acceptance of autism in the school community during World Autism Month in April. Rebecca Parke, a young person on the autism spectrum, wrote about her autism diagnosis as a girl on the spectrum, her experiences of bullying and …
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