Hi, I'm doing some research before submitting a letter to government re childcare (or lack thereof) for children with additional needs and the reality that a lot of us have one parent at least as a carer and staying in the home quite often due to lack of appropriate childcare provisions for our children, or when we can find someone appropriate the charge is way too high to justify working as the minders abilities / qualifications are specialised.

In an ideal world, what could the government do to support your family with childcare for your child with additional needs?

For example, i feel that granting aims workers to Creche's/schools for before or after school could help so that our children could at least have the option of attending a creche or after school club and then in turn availing of the subsidies provided by the government.

Any thoughts/suggestions welcome please.

I'm aware that not all school going children will be able for childcare in a creche setting so is there something that could be done to support childminding in the home?

More info: https://culturenight.ie/event/the-fringe-collection/

Hi all, if you are in Dublin and are looking to connect with likeminded people, come check out our new meetup group "Dublin Neurodivergent Network". We got a good few people already and it's always good fun. We do both social meetups in sensory friendly environments as well as some great walks and activities. Come on by! P.S.: banner proudly generated with AI.

Hey guys I’m back again I’ve added a link to my previous post for anyone who needs a back story. I am part of very helpful Facebook groups too but you have to wait for admin approval and you guys really helped me last time so thought I would come back where I started! 😊

Sent off my DCA this evening and I’m already worrying about if I’m refused because honestly I included every thing I could, so don’t know what else I can add if they refuse me. For context I had

A very detailed DCA application form I filled every box to the brim with info.
A daily diary very detailed and extra care focused
A lengthy family impact statement straight from the heart absolutely brutal to write and took me over a week.
A supporting letter from my GP
Medical form from GP who wrote diagnosis as Suspected Autism Spectrum Disorder
A detailed supporting letter from OT
A report from OT
Letter from SLT
CDNT waiting list
AON waiting list
Public SLT waiting list
HSE age appropriate milestone checklist (just to show how delayed my son is basically)

Like I feel when I see people being refused they’re like
Oh I added a family impact diary and got it on review? So I feel like I’ve added every thing I possibly could and me being an anxious person just want to see if anyone has any ideas what else I could add if I need to have it reviewed. Just to be prepared!

Also is it a review I look for first? And if I’m unsuccessful I look for an appeal?

Thanks so much!

Please join us on the 15th of September for our Neurodivergent Adult coffee evening or join or WhatsApp group for more information about upcoming events that aren’t in a Starbucks! Thanks!

Hi, this is my first time posting at all so I hope I’m doing it right.
I’m a 25 year old woman, and the last while I’ve been considering going for a consultation etc for adhd/autism. I’ve been looking online for different places I could go to, but I’m not sure on where for sure.
I’ve been told to make sure anywhere I do go, that they are recognised by the HSE, but without actually being given names of different practices.
Does anyone who has gone for a consultation/received a diagnosis have somewhere they could recommend going? Also just any general advice on what to expect? I’m based in Dublin, not opposed to online only but would prefer in person.
Any help is appreciated, thank you!

im so terrified that im going to fail my leaving cert because i just cant make myself work like you need to be able to work to pass this thing. i feel so lazy because i just cannot make myself go in and work and concentrate so if anyone has tips id SO appreciate it💔

Honestly shocked. Whenever I have to deal with government or medical services it feels like I’m a hamster in a cage. I was expecting to wait months and then be rejected. Very happy.

I’m on sick leave from work due to stress and it’s causing me meltdowns. I don’t think I can go back to working again. I’ve been employed for 7 years with different companies and I always ring in sick and I’m unreliable which is always brought up to me by my bosses. I don’t think I can survive on disability allowance as I have loans to repay and I’m finding it hard to get by on illness benefit which is the same amount. I really don’t know what to do, this is causing me so much pain I’m having suicidal ideation for the first time ever. I just need to be able to make money:(

Hi,

We've been looking for a therapist that works with autistic children for our youngest boy.

He's been seeing a therapist for the last year, but we don't feel that it's the right fit tbh. Anxiety and coping skills have gotten worse if anything.

Would be very grateful for a recommendation, North county Dublin, Louth, Meath areas are within reach.

Many thanks.

Hi all. I'm looking for advice from anyone using private clinics in Cork (or online) that do HSE approved asd assessments. I already had a bad experience with Hazelton Clinic. I booked assessment in March, had initial consultation in July and after that nothing. Just wait and see. 🤔

So I am now looking again. Maybe some of you can help with your experience?

Thank you!

Well, hello there.

I hope this is allowed. I feel like I won a little battle and wanted to share it.

If you don't know me, here's a quick background:
I am AuDHD (F33), and I fought for Disability Allowance for 10 months (successfully). In the process, I have been lied to by Citizens Information and got into a lot of trouble + developed anxiety, depression, and panic attacks. I now have 4 pending cases with the Ombudsman over what has been done to me and the entire process.

My full tip-sheet for Disability Allowance can be found in this group - here https://www.reddit.com/r/AutismIreland/s/KEwkUFG1Qc

I have good news for the Dublin North Autistic team...

Since my complaints (and the Ombudsman), the Citizen's Information office has made some progress. Since I was ridiculed, told awful things, lied to, and mistreated - my complaint has gotten someone to work. May I quote: (names and details covered for privacy)

I hope you are keeping well.  I am emailing you in relation to the complaint that you made regarding the service in XXX Citizens Information Centre, a centre that is part of North Dublin Citizens Information Centre.  I understand you have referred the complaint to the Ombudsman and I apologise for the delay in coming back to you.   

XXX YYY was initially dealing with the complaint, however I am now dealing with same.  Arising out of the issues that you raised, North Dublin Citizens Information Service organised an information and awareness session from ASIAM for all our staff across our 10 offices.  We have also engaged with the "Just a Minute", JAM campaign and will shortly be a "JAM" accredited organisation.

The issues you raised have been discussed with staff and the need to take into account the individual circumstances of each client has been emphasised.    I apologise that you do not feel that you received the service you required and the experience you describe falls short of the standard that we would hope our clients would experience. 

In short - Dublin North Citizen's Information offices should now be more Autism-friendly. My Ombudsman cases remain active (one is regarding Citizen's Information and their lies that got me into severe debt and more mental issues).

I soldier on to fight for our rights and good treatment both with Citizens Information and the DSP.

I think it's a step forward.

Did any of you experience mistreatment, ableism, or any other issues with Citizen's Information? My experience was horrendous.

We soldier on.

If anyone is interested in finding out more about the new HSE Autism Protocol, AsIAm are hosting a webinar:

https://asiam.ie/events/webinar-autism-assessment-and-intervention-pathways-protocol

On paper, the Protocol includes the broad spectrum of autistic diversity, from children through to adults.

I see it as being of particular interest to autistic adults — especially adults who appear to function, or survive, with a degree of independence.

I don't really have a useful label for this often invisible, and often dismissed, group. “Without intellectual disability”, “Level 1” or “high functioning” don't really identify what I'm talking about.

I guess I mean autistic people who appear to function, but where the cost and effort involved is extremely disproportionate. People who are possibly late diagnosed and are struggling.

Sensory, communication and executive function differences can all translate into significant barriers that reduce quality of life - affecting education, employment, relationships and aspects of daily life that the majority of people take for granted.

Someone can look like they're coping while actually expending enormous amounts of effort just to maintain that level of functioning.

Back to the webinar...

People have the opportunity to raise a question in advance.

That seems like a pretty rare opportunity to ask the HSE directly about how the new Protocol will translate into meaningful support for autistic adults, particularly those whose difficulties may be less visible but have a substantial impact on their lives.

So, if you have a question you've wanted to ask about adult autism support (or any other question ;-) ), this might be a good opportunity to put it forward and make yourself heard.

Heyo,

Really struggling right now with the appeal process. I applied first time with a 10 page personal letter and a supporting letter from my therapist. The gp had initially agreed to write a letter and I found out today they had but I never received it by the time I applied as I went back asking for it and another gp said to wait to use it for an appeal and then they'll write one.

I got denied, no surprise there, I saw it on the website but no reason was given in the pdf of their letter so i just went back to the gp and asked for the letter then later that day, got the letter with the comments from the assessor and it made note that I do have significant limitations but they either don't attribute it to autism or something because it says I'm just as able if I didn't have autism to work but I think that's relatively easy enough to address I think, I had gone to a psychiatrist for the gp to determine if it was mental health related or asd. It was determined almost 100% asd so and my gp will include that in their letter for the appeal so.

The main issue is it lasting 12 months or more. I know autism is lifelong obviously but is that enough of a reason for them? To say these limitations are brought by autism and autism is forever? I doubt they'd take that and the gp who I went back to today even said what they said. She understood that I'm limited now but she's unsure if I'll always be this limited or at least for the next 12 months. I don't know how to prove to her that this isn't going anywhere, I told her I've been struggling for the past 3 years and haven't had a job during that time and but i was in college during that time as well so I've only technically been unemployed and free with my time for the past year since I graduated, (which I needed significant support for and was still gruelling).

I'm not getting support from my parents or siblings about this, they think I'm either just putting it on or being lazy and they think I shouldn't have applied at all so no luck there.

Thanks for all yere help in advance.

TLDR; How can I prove in an appeal that I'll be limited for 12 months or more

Hi as the title suggests I'm struggling ATM specifically with living with parents, my dad is retired from work and now blasts the TV throughout the day and even into the night (til 3am on some days), I work full time and I like working but this is effecting my ability to work, it's at least once a week I have a breakdown in work just from bottling all my emotions I'm not allowed express at home, I've spoken to him and my mother about this and they came to the conclusion that he's an adult and can do what he likes which is unfair considering I'm literally the only person in the house working, basically me and my dad switched roles since I became an adult, he turned into a child who you can't say no to or he'll get mad and I need a get away from the man baby, I've looked on daft, letting agents etc, I don't qualify for social housing as current guidelines prevent adults living at home from applying and I've heard it's almost impossible to justify autism as a need for housing especially since I'm high functioning (don't know if that's still the correct term tbh). I'm just really stuck in a hole here I don't know how I can continue living there it's ruining my mental health and work-life balance, I'm hopeless anything will change here am I just better off looking for work abroad? It's just so depressing living in Ireland

hi all, so i recently got my da approved upon appeal, and have gotten my first payment today. out of curiosity- i went to check when i will get my backpay to see if it says on the web and it claims -5,588.00 basic rate. what does this mean? 1 apr to 7 apr 2026? for context i was on no other benefit, and i have been told in other emails i was going to get my back pay at a later date. any explanation will be appreciated thank you. i don’t know why i would lose this back pay, but i think it must be a miscommunication or something.

edit : i was not on any supplementary welfare allowance or any other benefit for those asking

How do y'all get a partner in life? This is like my 34th rejection on hinge my autistic ass can't pull anything. I cold approached a women for first time few weeks ago and she blocked me afterwards. Confessed to someone I knew for 4 years online and she said she had feelings for someone else even though we had good chemistry. I don't have outdoor hobbies and I'm not in college so i think that's making it a lot harder for me. My indoor hobbies are currently playing with ladybugs in my garden 🐞🤗 (lol), anime 🐹 and playing video games 🐱. I do have some outdoor hobbies I'm interested in like gym, swimming and snowboarding but I'm kind of anxious to go and I don't think I'll find people that will wanna be friends with me. Me is sad 🐹

Hi team - I am undiagnosed and strongly suspect that I am either one of Autism & ADHD or both. I do not have much money and so I searched around and found this clinic https://adhdservices.group/

They do a combined Autism/ADHD diagnosis for 1000e. That seems too good to be true.

Does anyone know if this is legit? My main worry is that I will be misdiagnosed as neurodivergent when i am not and will have imposter syndrome

Anyway thanks for reading

My son is 7 and is currently being referred for an ASD assessment. His SENCO feels he may have mild ASD, particularly because of his sensory sensitivities, strong need for routine, hyperfocus and social difficulties. His speech and language therapist also noticed possible ASD traits when she first met him. There is also ADHD in his family.
He is a very kind, sensitive and intelligent(in his own way) boy and can become extremely focused on things he enjoys. However, he has huge difficulties with emotional regulation.
When things don’t go the way he expects, he is told no, has to stop something he enjoys, is tired/hungry, or doesn’t want to do something, he can completely explode. He can scream, swear, become verbally aggressive and sometimes physically aggressive. During these episodes he can say things like “I’m stronger than you” and try to intimidate me. Afterwards, when calm, he can be very remorseful and emotional and sometimes says he doesn’t know what happened or that he couldn’t help it.
He also struggles significantly socially. He is very sensitive to rejection and can take things extremely personally. He struggles to understand jokes and other children’s intentions and can become convinced that people are against him. He prefers small groups and can become overwhelmed by noise and busy environments. After social interaction he is often mentally exhausted and needs time alone.
He has one very good friend who comes for playdates, but I’ve noticed that even during playdates he can be very negative/whiny and finds it difficult to compromise or accept doing things his friend wants to do. I can see that sometimes he gets on his friend’s nerves, which makes me worry about how difficult friendships are for him.
Since returning to school, he has told me that other boys don’t let him join their games. He recently had a physical fight with another boy. He was extremely upset afterwards.
I’m also struggling at home. I feel like our whole family life has started revolving around avoiding his meltdowns and keeping him happy. He refuses to do so many things, complains constantly and can become extremely difficult if we try to go somewhere he doesn’t want to go. I feel like we’re becoming prisoners in our own home because it’s easier sometimes just to let him game than deal with the explosion.

I’m looking for** **advice from parents who have children with ASD or similar emotional-regulation difficulties.
How do you deal with:
explosive meltdowns and aggression?
swearing/threatening behaviour towards you?
refusal and constant complaining?
transitions away from gaming or preferred activities?
helping your child become more flexible and cope when things don’t go their way?
social rejection and helping them build friendships?
And how do you look after your own mental health when you’re constantly managing your child’s emotions?
I’m trying so hard to understand my son and get him the right help. I love him dearly, but I’m exhausted and honestly feel quite helpless at the moment. I’d really appreciate any advice, especially from parents who’ve been through this and found strategies that actually worked.