Mother says special needs assistants play crucial role in lives of autistic sons

Joshua Duffy is a ordinary 11-year-old school boy.

He is obsessed with playing Mario Kart, loves YouTube and would happily devour countless episodes of The Simpsons.

But in other ways he faces extraordinary challenges that make it seem like a miracle he’s in a mainstream primary school.

He has autism as well as a rare bone and muscle disorder, which meant he lost both legs.

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“Joshua is highly dependent and has limited mobility in his wrist and elbow. He needs help to turn the page of a book, to eat or to go the toilet,” says his mother, Gillian Duffy.

That, she says, is where his special needs assistant (SNA) plays a crucial role.

“The SNA provides Joshua with a vital conduit to learning in the classroom and socialising with other children,” says Duffy.

“The SNA explain to him what’s going on. He can explain to the other children what Joshua’s going through. If he needs some air, the SNA can bring him to the sensory room to calm down.”

Close relationship

Duffy, who lives outside Mitchelstown in Co Cork, says the support has helped Joshua forge a close relationship with his classmates.

“There’s a group he’s best friends with. They have Mario Kart tournaments in the house. They see him as a friend – they don’t see his disability.

“When he went for surgery recently, the class had a going-away party and gave him a special book with messages from all the pupils.”

Joshua’s brother William (17) was also diagnosed with autism when he was younger. He was non-verbal, he couldn’t maintain eye contact. His access to a SNA also played a critical role in maximising his potential.

Leaving Cert

Today, he is studying for the Leaving Cert and hopes to get a place in computer science in UCC.

“You wouldn’t know anything was wrong, to see him. He has his own little quirks , but sure we all do.”

Duffy says she is worried a review of the SNA scheme could downgrade children’s entitlement to support. As for Joshua, she has little doubt where he would be if he didn’t have this support.

“He would be in a special school, away from his own community,” says Duffy. “We’ve a long history of shutting children away who were different.”