The mother of a young girl with autism who has now been turned away by 19 secondary schools, is appealing for help in her ‘endless fight’ for her child’s right to an education.
Karen Fowler's daughter Amber is non-verbal and has an intellectual disability as well as global developmental delay.
Amber lives in Raheny in Dublin and should be starting secondary school in the coming days but has been unable to secure a school place.
Ms Fowler told Newstalk Breakfast it has been a constant battle.
"It's been about six months since I've been fighting non-stop," she said.
"All I've received is ticking boxes [and] robot replies from different Government bodies.
"The fight has been so hard that I decided to join a demonstration last Friday alongside Greg Lewis, who has a son with autism, and I joined this demonstration out of sheer and utter frustration.
"The fight has been endless and it's just so frustrating."
Amber and Karen. Image: SuppliedMs Fowler said her daughter thrives on structure but regresses without it.
"She has been in school since she was three in the early intervention [class] in Scoil Bhride in Donaghmede," she said.
"She triumphs in routine and structure... she's fantastic when she's at school but when she comes home, she regresses significantly during the summer period.
"At the moment, I'm experiencing OCD with her - so she's turning on light switches non-stop and just different behaviours."
Karen and Amber. Image: SuppliedMs Fowler said she's been left with no option but to plead for help to get a school place.
"We've absolutely no options and we've been given no option either," she said.
"Amber hasn't been offered one school place in all this time and I've been constantly sending emails, constantly engaging with the relevant parties to no avail.
"I'm absolutely exhausted; I'm so tired, I'm going to work, I'm coming home - it's a struggle.
"I'm only working 18 hours but those 18 hours are tough. I look after people with reduced mobility in Dublin Airport and I love my job."
Ms Fowler appealed directly to politicians: "Amber needs a suitable place that will meet Amber's needs and they really need to help us".
