Shameful: Laois mother forced to 'quit job and homeschool' due to lack of places in ASD units

A Laois mother of a child with severe autism has been left with no option but to quit her job and homeschool her son, due to the lack of school places in special schools and ASD units.

Sofia Tyrell from Portarlington told the Leinster Express / Laois Live that her struggle to source assistance and a school place for her six year old son Issac.

Due to a lack of school places in the Laois/Offaly area, Ms Tyrell has received admission refusals from 14 different schools for the 2025/2026 academic year.

"This is my second year of applying to schools and units and receiving refusals," Ms Tyrell said.

"Issac is currently in a unit for pre-primary school toddlers, as there are no available school places in primary school units or special schools. I have been told I might be waiting three years," she said. 

Pictured: Ms Tyrell's six year old son Issac

"We had to apply to get a one year extension to his time in the pre-primary unit, he should be going into senior infants now," Ms Tyrell said.

"He is two years behind at the moment, and we can't get another extension to his time in the unit. He needs a school place desperately," she explained.

Six-year-old Issac was diagnosed with ASD, and has two special needs assistants due to his complex needs.

"People say they wouldn't change a thing about their children, but I would give my left leg to take away these needs, to know that he will move on to live a healthy and happy life. But realistically, he is going to be with me forever," Ms Tyrell said.

"We have applied for so many things, even respite, and we have been refused everything. We get no extra help," she said.

"We are completely stuck, and we are both suffering for it. He is a major flight risk, he doesn't understand fear or danger, which is what scares me," Ms Tyrell admitted.

"His teacher has told me she doesn't know how I do it. He isn't the most severe in the unit, but he is the hardest to work with."

Pictured: Ms Tyrell and Issac

Ms Tyrell explained that while applying to dozens of schools, many schools told her that they are not even accepting applications.

"One school told me that there are at least 70 students on the waiting list ahead of Issac," she said.

"In some cases I have been told that there's no point in even sending an application in, that they won't even keep the application on file."

The unit Issac is currently in is attached to an all-girls mainstream school, which has recently opened a new special classroom. Ms Tyrell explained that in her desperation, she attempted to get her son a spot in this class.

"I was so desperate, I even tried to get him into an all-girls' school, because it's still a special classroom," she said.

Ms Tyrell is left with no option but to homeschool her son, which would mean giving up her job in the social care sector.

"We are left with no viable options, if I homeschool him I will have to give up my job, and I wouldn't be able to pay for private therapies. I am trying to work more now to save for September, in case this does happen," she said.

"I work with children who have additional needs, and I love it. It's quite difficult for me to say, but with going to work and then coming home, I am on fight or flight 24/7," she said.

"I work with it and I come home to it, there is no break from it. For my own mental health, Issac needs to be in school. If I don't work, I can't provide for him," she said.

Pictured: Six year old Issac and his mother Sofia

The Portarlington mother discussed her fears of Issac regressing through homeschooling.

"Kids behave differently at home. He won't sit at a table for me the way he would in a setting with other children," Ms Tyrell said.

"It could be years before he gets a place. I don't want to mask the issues at home by doing home tuition. I would have to give up work, and then there are no private therapies in place for him. There would be huge regressions.

"We are stuck in this confined apartment, and homeschooling would have a domino effect on the whole family. When we leave the house, I need two people to bring him out with me. I am mentally drained," she said.

"I could pick any school for my teenager, she can go anywhere in life. When you have a child with special needs, you just have to take what you're given," she said through tears.

Read More: Shocking rise in reported assaults against teachers in Laois schools

To apply to the schools, you now also need an eligibility letter from a Special educational needs officer (SENO).

"I don't drive, so even if the Special Educational Needs Officer puts Issac on a list for a special school, if somewhere comes available, it could be two or three hours away. I have to collect him quite often, by the time I get to him, school could be finished. 

"I am knocking on every door, I would give my left leg for him to have a secure placement next September," she said.

"No one is listening and no one is answering. I am passed from professional to professional, no one has an answer for me, and there is no one to turn to when you have no options. The problem is just being hidden," Ms Tyrell said.

Ms Tyrell explained that she recently brought Issac to a private pediatrician for his self-injury behaviours.

"We wanted to look into therapies and medications and we were refused, because his self-injury behaviour is due to his lack of understand danger, it isn't to intentionally harm himself," she said.

Pictured: Issac has been in a pre-primary unit for over two years

"We receive no therapies from the HSE, If you do get them it's for two weeks and they never contact you again, I have had the speech and language therapists come out to the house and they are moved on to new areas quickly," Ms Tyrell said.

"I'm told someone will be in touch with me to sort a new therapist, and no one gets back to me. Absolutely nothing, whatever we do I source myself, and even private therapies are hard to come by. 

"My son deserves an education, just like the rest of his peers. Just like everyone else," she said.

"I can't get him an extension for another year in the unit. I am going to shout from the tallest lamppost to fight for him," she said.

This year, many special schools have changed their admissions period from Spring months to the previous winter period. Ms Tyrell was dismayed, and has said that she and fellow parents were not informed of this change.

"Enrollment to special schools locally was moved from this March to last October, and I wasn't informed by schools or the HSE," she said.

"No one told me that it was no longer early spring, but the previous winter. I went to the schools in early January thinking I was getting ahead, and was told 'no sorry, we've changed the criteria.' No one had informed us," she said.

"It looks great up in the Dáil when they can say that their applications have gone down, when they actually haven't."

"My back is against the wall, I feel like I have screamed and reached out to everyone. There is no one left to reach out to. We shouldn't have to be begging for these services," Ms Tyrell finished.

Read More: Laois parents 'at wits end' with lack of places in special schools and autism units