Camphill Community can help families struggling to find school places for their autistic children

BBC Northern Ireland’s website carried a story recently about a 12-year-old with autism, who, the report claimed, had not been to school, or received any education, for most of the past five years, because, his mother said, he had been unable to find a suitable school place.

The report added that the boy had “tried both mainstream and special schools without success”, his mother arguing that her son struggled with the environment of mainstream schools. She also maintained that he could not attend the one special school at which he was offered a place.

That there is a real and growing need for better provision for children who have an autism spectrum disorder is clear. But the comment made by this boy’s mother — that what she calls “autism-specific schools” are not provided — is not completely accurate.

The school which is an integral part of the Camphill Community at Glencraig in north Down provides for children with significant learning difficulties, autism especially.

Its existence is something of a well-kept secret, perhaps because it is independent and what it offers costs more than places in grant-aided special schools. This may be why the boy’s mother is not aware that it exists. All the children who attend the school in Glencraig have been placed there by either the Education Authority or one or other of the health and social care trusts, but these bodies seem reluctant to place children in it until every other option has been tried and failed.

Those of us who, like me, know what goes on in this school would like its existence to be much better known and to see more children being offered places.

JOHN YOUNG

Member, management council Camphill Community, Glencraig