The Royal and Prior are delighted to announce the successful establishment of a new special class for students with ASD  (Autism spectrum disorder) in the school this year. Although only weeks old, The ASD class is already a great addition to the school allowing students with ASD to access a wide range of resources and supports within school. 

The class named “W5” due to its location in the new West Wing extension consists of a main classroom, a sensory space, a life skills area and numerous resources to support students with organisation, occupational therapy and balancing emotions. These facilities not only benefit those students with ASD but also students with other additional needs within the school. 

Genevieve Griffin, ASD coordinator within the school noted that;

“As a community, we strive to create an inclusive and supportive environment for all our students and this class is an amazing addition to our school. We hope to support the holistic development of the autistic students within our community over the years to come which includes not only curriculum support but also emotional development, social skills and life skills support”

Michelle Carr, AEN coordinator for The Royal and Prior also expressed her delight at the establishment of the ASD special class she also noted that all of the hard work that has been put in by the school to have the class sanctioned by the Department of Education has paid off. Mrs Carr remarked that she; 

“Cannot wait to see the students both enrolled and those benefiting from the support of the class come to fruition in years to come”. 

This is a new and very exciting chapter for the historical, 400 year old school, but why now? In a 2016 report by the National Council for Special Education it was noted that 1 in 65, or 1.5% of the school going population in Ireland had a diagnosis of Autism. That is hugely significant. This combined with The Royal and Prior’s mission of enabling “all students to achieve their full potential in a happy, secure and respectful environment” the school management, board and staff felt the time was right. 

Principal, Dr H Welch said; 

“The new ASD Class is a wonderful addition to the Royal and Prior and means that we have the facilities and teachers to ensure all students, regardless of the additional needs they face, can attend the School and be helped to reach their potential.“

All queries are welcome and contact can be made through the school number on 074 9145389 or directly through email at [email protected]