Classroom crisis: 'Just because he can’t speak, he still has a voice - it's my job to make sure it’s heard'

Alfie is three years old. He was diagnosed with autism in June 2024. Although Alfie is non-verbal, he can communicate with others using lámh.

On January 13 of this year, Sabrina Dunne received a letter from her son’s school. It simply read: “As St. Joseph’s School will not be operating an ASD Pre-School for 2026/2027, I am writing to confirm that your son Alfie presently enrolled will need to secure alternative placement for the academic year 2026/2027.” 

Eleven other parents have received similar letters as two of the three early intervention classrooms in Waterford are due to be shut down. The only operating early intervention classroom in the county will be in Dungarvan and can only take six children.

According to Pobal, there are 191 children in Waterford diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Although Sabrina knew that Alfie would only be able to go to St Joseph's special school for one year, she had no idea how difficult it would be to find a place in another classroom. 

Alfie was in mainstream pre-school but due to various issues, he was taken out.

Sabrina can see the massive difference a specialised setting has had on her son. 

“He’s after coming on so much. He’s happier, he’s so much calmer, he’s trying to talk. He wasn’t doing that before,” she said. 

Sabrina can’t praise St Joseph’s School enough.

“They bring him out, they teach him life skills, they teach him to interact with other people. They don’t get that in a mainstream school.” 

Although Alfie is non-verbal, he can communicate with others using lámh.

Sabrina works full-time as a medical secretary for the HSE. She is currently in receipt of the carer’s benefit so she can reduce her hours to 18.5 hours for the next two years.

If she can’t find a place for her son, she says she is looking at coming out of work for a year "at my own expense".

Mainstream pre-school is not an option for Alfie because “he would be lost in it".

"I’m full of anxiety, I’m not sleeping at night,” Sabrina said. "If there’s a class of 20 children, he’s going to be completely lost. And he will regress.” 

“It’s mental torture,” trying to find a space for him, says Sabrina.

“Unless you’re in it, ignorance is bliss. Four years ago, I wouldn’t have known about any of this; now I know because I need it.”  

It is understood that the early intervention classroom will become a General Learning Disability classroom.

“It’s literally saying to a child, ‘here’s your chocolate bar but you’re not getting it because we need it for another little boy or girl'." 

Sabrina thinks that GLD classrooms are, “100% necessary, but kids need the early intervention classroom as well. Just because he can’t speak, he still has a voice and it's my job to make sure it’s heard.”