ABACAS Family Website
What is ABACAS?
ABACAS is a specialist ABA school for children with autism located in Kilbarrack and serving the need for autism specific education in North County Dublin.
It was established in 2001 by parents and now has 30 children with an ever increasing waiting list for places.
ABACAS remains a parent led school, its mission is to continue to respond to the educational and social needs of the children as they move from childhood to teenage to adulthood.
What is Autism?
Autism is a neurological developmental disorder that affects three key activities.
·
Communication
– talking, listening, asking questions, pointing, gesturing, using
facial expressions.
· Social Interaction - knowing how to behave – this is the hardest one- what are the rules to follow in a family situation, in a cinema, in a restaurant, what to do when we meet someone, in the playground, on the street?
·
Imaginative
development –- let's pretend games - the
most fun activity to "average" kids - being able to imagine you are
Beckham or Barney!
These three activities are like a combination lock, when these are all working together the door is open for play, to go to school, make friends, learn from our families, and be part of the world around us.
Because the diagnosis of autism is a mix and a combination of these three functions autism is frequently referred to as ASD or Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
Why ABA?
ABA or Applied Behaviour Analysis has been shown worldwide to be the most effective program to assist with autism. ABA is used throughout all teaching and therapy programs at ABACAS.
ABA is a personalized program that helps the child cope with their particular deficits within the Autistic Spectrum
At ABACAS each child has their own ABA program. For some this will mean integration to mainstream schooling, for others it will mean being able to achieve essential living skills and assisting them and their families to cope with the challenges that autism brings.
Funding
The Centre receives funding from the Department of Education but there is on an ongoing shortfall in providing the extensive range of therapies, facilities, and equipment, which the children require.
Projects Funded to Date
- Playground - opened June 2005 to huge joy for both the children and teachers. This has provided a further therapy outlet for the children during their day.
- Library - to assist in the information gathering and ongoing education of the teachers and parents.
- Sibling School - to assist the wider family to learn more about autism and cope with a child with autism in the family.
· Computer equipment and software, which allows the tutors and children to devise more colourful and fun educational programs.
Future Goals
- Speech Therapy and Physical Therapy at the school. This will be the main goals for the coming year; these therapies will require considerable assistance to finance the personnel and kit out the facilities with the necessary equipment.
- Parental and family programs - providing the ongoing support families need as the children move to teenage and adulthood.
- Computer equipment - Exploring ways in which technology could help the children to better integrate with their environment.
Contact Information
ABACAS School c/o Scoil Eoin, Greendale Road, Kilbarrack, Dublin 13 01 8396705
