Library near Kildare border halts Autism classes

Specially curated classes for Autistic people, which were being held regularly at a location near the Kildare-Meath border, have been halted following a complaint.

The classes, which were being run by All Ability Learning Ireland in Enfield Economic Hub (which also serves as the town's library) have temporarily ceased following the submission of a complaint which allegedly involved concerns over noise caused by the classes, according to the radio station KFM.

The station also reported that Colleen Mannion, teacher and founder of All Ability Learning Ireland, uses Rapid Prompting Method (RPM), in her sessions. This refers to a technique that employs letter boards, prompts and keyboards designed to help Autistic people, particularly those who are non-verbal or minimally verbal, to communicate through spelling.

When asked by the Leinster Leader about the halted sessions, a spokesperson for Meath County Council (MCC) confirmed that it has been made aware of a complaint regarding the cessation of the lessons.

READ NEXT: DON'T MISS: Kildare's Junior Infants - FREE SUPPLEMENT IN LEINSTER LEADER TODAY!

The spokesperson also asserted: "In relation to the issues raised last week in the Economic Hub, MCC continues to engage with local groups in relation to the services provided and the possibility of expanding such services within our Library Service.

"The council hopes to resolve this matter promptly to ensure that all our service users feel supported and respected."

They further said: "MCC values the contributions of everyone in our community and remains dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment, providing a range of services and resources in our library branches county-wide for people with additional needs including:

• Sensory Rooms in Bettystown and Oldcastle Libraries
• Sensory Pods in Ashbourne, Dunshaughlin and Oldcastle Libraries
• Magic Tables in almost all libraries
• Toy and Sensory Resource Lending Collections available to all Meath borrowers
• Sensory baskets containing small calming toys and ear defenders to use during your visit available in all libraries
• C-Pen Readers for children / adults with dyslexia
• TTRS-Touch-type Read & Spell software which is beneficial for those with dyslexia
• Social stories are being made available on the website so users can familiarise themselves with the building and services before their visit
• Navan Library has a designated sensory space available every Saturday afternoon between 2pm and 5pm. This space is available for neurodiverse people to avail of while visiting the library. This is an initiative of Neurodiversity Navan and Navan Library
• In Enfield Library, there is a Tovertafel / Magic Table in the library meeting room which is available for individual / small group / family bookings in addition to Sensory baskets."

The spokesperson also claimed that MCC was the first Local Authority in the country to install communication boards to assist Autistic people in all 26 playgrounds across the county.

They concluded their statement by insisting that MCC "remains committed to upholding the highest standards of integration and inclusion in all communities within our county".

Ms Mannion has also been contacted by the Leader for comment on this situation.

READ NEXT: Changes proposed for well-known Kildare town business