Thurles CBS to develop new state of the art ASD unit for its students

Thurles CBS has announced the development of their first Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) class which will be open to students at the start of the academic year this September.

The addition of the new classroom is to provide education to as many groups as possible in the community.

The class will offer a supportive learning environment to students with ASD who are unable to access the curriculum in a mainstream class, for most or all their school day.

Special classes enable students with more complex educational needs to be educated, in a smaller class group, within their mainstream school, and the new class will cater to a maximum of six students.

Speaking about the establishment of an ASD class at CBS Thurles, Principal Tiernan O’Donnell, said: “We strive to serve the educational needs of our community from enhancing student self-confidence to promoting life skills and attitudes which will enable students to live fulfilling lives and contribute to the betterment of society.

“With this new class, we are incredibly proud to extend our support for students across the spectrum, including gifted students and students with learning difficulties.

“This class will offer a supportive learning environment to students with ASD who are unable to access the curriculum in a mainstream class for most or all of their school day. Students enrolled in the ASD class will, in line with Department of Education guidelines, be included in mainstream classes to the greatest extent possible, in line with their abilities.

“We are committed to the highest standards at CBS Thurles to ensure that all students achieve their potential in an inclusive environment.

“This is provided in a nurturing and caring environment to support their families and those who work with them.”
CBS Thurles boasts a dedicated Learning Support Department coordinated by Ms. Anne Ely, along with colleagues Ms. Mary Murray and Ms. Lorraine Quinlan, who work tirelessly to ensure all our students have access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum.

Anne Ely, a Special Educational Needs Teacher at CBS Thurles said: “For students who have Special Educational Needs (SEN), whether they be educational, physical, psychological or social, we endeavour to ensure that their needs are met here at CBS Thurles.

“We provide SEN support via high quality teaching and high expectations to empower students to take responsibility for their own learning, thereby enabling them to experience success at school and beyond.

“This new capacity is a significant boost for our team and a further endorsement of the standards of caring, nurturing and academic striving that exists here.”