‘Our children are invisible’: Autism and the schooling gap

The Irish Times: Rian is almost seven. He loves the Avengers, playing with Lego, climbing and messy play.

“He’s the joy of our family,” says his mother, Suzanne Voakes. “He’s the funniest, quirkiest child. He’s a typical boy, boisterous, loves hiding and climbing. He loves learning. He’s like a shining diamond.”

Last September, two years after starting at his local primary school, he was expelled. He was six.

Suzanne says the school did all it could for him but that teaching staff simply weren’t equipped to meet his needs. Read article


Theme picker