Autistic students and their parents/guardians experiences of school in Ireland.

This article explores educational practices in Irish schools and how these
practices serve the needs of autistic students in terms of inclusion. The
research, stemming from the work of AsIAm, aims to shed light on the
educational experiences of autistic children and young people from a human
rights perspective. Through both qualitative and quantitative research
methods, the study provides insights into the realities faced by autistic students
in Ireland's educational system. To gain a first-hand understanding the
researchers used a human rights perspective to explore autistic students
experience of education. Semi-structured interviews were held with five
participants from diverse contexts. In addition to this the researchers
conducted a qualitative online survey of parents / guardians (n=353) relating
to their child’s educational experience. The findings highlight autistic students
and their parents feel that they are not being taken seriously, have to fight for
resources, experience lack of communication and in many cases feel that
necessary supports were viewed as tentative additional extras. This study gives
voice to the autistic communities concerns for their own and their children’s
school experiences. The paper concludes with their recommendations as to
how the gap between educational policy and inclusion for autistic students can
be closed.