Legal: Irish autism news story

Parents of autistic boy awarded €61,000

Irish Autism Action has welcomed today's award by the High Court of almost €61,000 to the parents of a six-year-old boy with autism because of delays by the Health Service Executive in treating him.

Mr Justice Michael Peart ruled there had been a breach in the HSE's duty of care towards Seán Ó Cuanacháin due to delays in providing him with therapy and intervention.

However, Justice Peart said that Seán had since made very good progress and awarded damages in line with that finding.

Justice Peart also delivered a 270-page judgment in which he outlined his reasons for refusing to compel the State to provide a certain type of education for Seán.

full story here

Advocates for Children of New York resource

This website has some very interesting reports and studies including this one which provides a critical examination of New York's gifted programs and an analysis of segregation in the programs. Nationally, experts estimate black and Latino students are underrepresented in gifted programs by fifty to seventy percent.

http://www.advocatesforchildren.org/pubs/2005/gifteded.pdf

There are also examples of current litigation and legal challenges being undertaken on behalf of various children and/or excluded groups in education generally.

Parents and/or interested readers will find much to read generally on this website whether or not they live in New York especially under their policy reports section.

http://www.advocatesforchildren.org/mission.php