At least 17 children with additional educational needs in Dublin 15 have been rejected from all appropriate schools in their area.

The children's parents are now campaigning for increased accessibility in schools in their own area and around Dublin.

Aisling’s five-year-old son Ellis is autistic and nonverbal – and as of now, he has been rejected from 30 schools across Dublin. 

Aisling told Lunchtime Live she applied to schools in Dunboyne, Ashbourne, Donabate, Finglas, Cabra and more – hand-delivering each application.

“Every single one of them – we have got a rejection letter from them,” she said. 

“It’s to a point where... we want the schools based in our area but if we got a school place in Dun Laoghaire or Foxrock, we’re supposed to accept that.” 

Aisling said Ellis has come on “leaps and bounds” since he got an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device to communicate with others.

“He is coming on massively in his preschool – the facilities, the teachers, the support, the training, everything is A1,” she said. 

“He is such a beautiful child - absolutely amazing - and he deserves a school place.

“[But] because he is non-speaking and because he is autistic, he is being denied the right to an education. 

During her search, Aisling has been asked several times if she would send Ellis to a mainstream classroom without additional support. 

“Would you consider jumping into the deepest end of the pool if you couldn’t swim without any lifejacket?” she said. 

“I'm not going to put him into an ocean full of sharks.” 

Children with additional needs 'regressing'

Catriona’s son Rian is also five years old – and doesn’t have a school to go to in September. 

“Every child has the right to go to school and they shouldn't be rejected because they're different from any other child,” she said. 

Aisling said she fears Rian, who is autistic, will regress without an appropriate school to accommodate additional needs. 

“He’s not going to have that social interaction with children,” she said. 

“He might regress back to where he was before.” 

School places in 2025

The Department of Education previously said there will be 2,000 new places for children with additional needs in schools next year. 

According to Caitriona, however, many of these places go to children already in the school who need to leave the mainstream school. 

According to the Dublin 15 Primary Principal Network, 111 children in primary schools are struggling to engage with staff and peers due to a lack of services. 

Jane also told the show her son Noah was diagnosed with autism a year ago and has applied to 22 schools in Dublin, Meath and Kildare to no avail.

She said she paid €780 a week for Noah to attend an appropriate preschool while waiting to receive a grant to cover fees.

This, according to Jane, shows what she and parents like her must deal with "on a daily basis".

Listen back here:

Main image: Rian (L) and Ellis (R).