We have four autism classes here in Holy Cross Mercy. These classes cater for the needs of children from early intervention level right up to senior level. Each class has six pupils, one teacher and two SNAs allocated to it.

We strongly value and promote neurodiversity and inclusion in Holy Cross Mercy. We are especially proud to be located in Killarney, the third town in Ireland to be awarded the title of an Autism Friendly Town. We very much strive to support Killarney’s mission to create a nurturing and inclusive environment for autistic children and their families.

A school support plan is developed for each child once they enroll in one of our autism classes. While this plan is led primarily by the class teacher, we consult extensively with parents, psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and where possible, the child themselves, so as to best inform our practice.

Every effort is made to integrate children from the autism classes into mainstream class activities as they progress through our school. This is done in accordance with their sensory, social and academic needs. We very much follow the child’s lead in this area.

We are fortunate to have a sensory room, a sensory garden and an outdoor playground as part of our school campus. We are also enormously lucky to be located within walking distance of Killarney National Park and Killarney Town Centre. We undertake many nature walks, many visits to local heritage sites, frequent trips to coffee shops, food stores and restaurants in our vicinity so as to further enhance the social and sensory development of our pupils.

On a final note, we are blessed to have a dedicated staff, parent and pupil body that embraces learning about neurodiversity.