Carol Nolan highlights speech therapy waits and autism unit gaps
Carol Nolan raised concerns about long waiting lists and lack of services for children needing speech therapy and autism supports. She recounted contacting the school-age team in Tullamore, County Offaly multiple times without reply and called for ministerial intervention and more autism units at second level.
Local case raised
Carol Nolan described writing to the school-age team in Tullamore, County Offaly about a young child. She said she had written at least five times and had yet to receive a response, and that the child's parents remained anxious for the child to be prioritised for speech therapy.
Service pressures and waiting lists
She criticised the lack of services and a dire situation in terms of therapists and long waiting lists. Nolan spoke from personal experience and described the delays and frustrations families face when trying to access speech therapy.
Second-level education shortfall
Nolan warned of a serious gap at second level and said more autism units are needed to ensure children are supported at every stage. She argued that pupils should not have to travel 30 or 40 miles to attend an autism unit.
Request to the minister
She urged the minister to intervene on the specific Tullamore case and on the broader shortages of therapy services and autism units. Nolan indicated she would be grateful for any action to prioritise the child and to address the wider service failures.
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Minister, the first thing I want to bring up is, you know, the lack of services and the dire situation that the services are in, in terms of therapists, the waiting lists are so long and I know I have personal experience and it is a great frustration. I've written to a school age team in Tullamore County, Offaly, about a child. I say I've written at least five times at this stage and I've yet to receive a response. The young child was policed under the school age team and his parents are very anxious for the child to be prioritised. for speech therapy as soon as possible, but I've received no communication from them and as far as I know, certainly a month ago, the parents hadn't either and I'd be very grateful for any intervention you can make there. Also, there's a dire situation at second level. We need more autism units for the kids. We need to make sure that they're supported at every level because there's a serious gap there. Kids need to have the autism units at second level. They can't be travelling 30, 40 miles to a unit. Go raibh ma agat. you be i i are oh
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