This article is from page 13 of the 2006-07-25 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
MUCH needed respite is to be provided for parents of children with Autism in the county.
A house in Quilty is to be made available for the welcome weekend break, with the support of the HSE and Enable Ireland.
That was the good news that emerged from a meeting between the lobby group Voices for Autism and the HSE last evening.
The parent’s group had met with the health authority amid fears that adequate staffing could not be found for the new Autism Unit in Kilrush.
The unit, which is due to open on the grounds of St Senan’s Primary School in September, is to provide education for six autistic children in the West Clare area. To date a primary school teacher and two special needs assistants have been sanctioned for the unit, but parents feared that the autism team required to provide the full service would not be employed in time.
At the meeting last evening parents were told that a speech therapist would be provided for the Kilrush unit in September, but a question remark remains over the other staff required.
The required team would include a speech and language therapist, physiotherapist, psychologist and social worker.
The HSE nationally have experienced difficulties in recruiting the required professionals and the Mid West has been no exception.
The HSE has experienced a particular difficulty in providing an adequate service for children in the six to 18 age groups in the county.
A team has been secured in the north of the county for early intervention, but parents have experienced a fall back in services and support as their children reach school age.