Support & Resources
Making a decision on the best support route for your child is a difficult decision for many parents and can be overwhelming at the beginning as you navigate the system.
At the Kildare Autism Network, we support many parents in this process and provide a forum for others to share their experiences, positive and negative.
Helpful Reading & Shopping Supplies
Helpful Books for Parents, Children & individuals with Autism
- The reason I jump by Naoki Higashida
- Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin
- The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism spectrum Disorder by Elizabeth Verdick
- The curious Incident of the Dog in the Night by Mark Haddon
- The Asperkids (Secret) Book of Social Rules by Jennifer Cook O’Toole
- The Autistic Brain by Temple Grandin
- Ten things every child with autism wishes you knew by Ellen Notbohm & Veronica Zysk
- Uniquely Human A different way of seeing autism by Dr Barry M Prizant
- An Adult with an Autism diagnosis by Gillan Drew
- Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder by Sarah Hendrickx
- My brother Charlie by Denene Milliner, Holly Robinson Peete & Ryan Elizabeth Peete
- My Awesome Autism by Nikki Saunders
- Different like me: My book of Autism Heros by Jennifer Elder
- Autism The invisible Cord by Barbera S Cain
- Neurotribes by Steve Silberman
Where to shop for Autism Supplies
Team Support & Resources
Kildare West Wicklow Children’s Disability Network Teams
Their mission is to work in partnership with Children and Young People with disabilities, with their families, to support their development and to enable active participation in community life.
What services they provide:
Network Disability Teams provide interdisciplinary support services to children aged 0-18 years who present with needs identified as complex.
They are a team of professionals with different expertise working in partnership with families, school/outside agencies to develop and implement integrated intervention programmes.
Who can access the service:
For children & young people whose developmental needs are identified as complex according to the National Access & Criteria Policy, a referral is made to the Network Disability Team.
How to access this service:
Referral Form Required: Yes, self & professional referral.
Waiting List Timeframe: From 3 to 12 months (average)
Model of Service:
Family-centred practice underpins the model of service provided by the NDTs. Family-centred practices recognise that families are integral to the lives of their children and children are best supported in the natural environment of their family.
Families are responsible for meeting the needs of their children but may need support in doing this. The Children’s Network Disability Teams aim to maximise family’s capacity to meet their child’s needs and provide supports required through different types of approaches.
Universal interventions may include training events and information sessions for families and educators. Focused interventions may include groups, specific training package or information session for families. Targeted interventions may include e.g. home visits which may include parent coaching, school/ preschool visit, individual intervention sessions, review/assessment of equipment, orthotic and seating clinics.
Service Location(s):
Address: 2nd floor, Celbridge Primary Care Centre, Maynooth Road, Celbridge, W23 YK24.
Address: Enable Ireland Building, Jigginstown, Naas,
Co. Kildare, W91 V990
South Kildare Network Disability Team,
Tel: 045 908 644,
Sensational Kids
Sensational Kids provide affordable, accessible and timely intervention services, such as occupational therapy, speech & language therapy, and play therapy. There are 4 child development centres in Ireland and one is based in Kildare Town. Sensational Kids contact number is 045 520 900
Fundraising and earned income from Sensational Kids’ Child Development & Learning Store and training workshops help to subsidise their therapy services, so that they can bridge the gap between public and private therapy services, providing a practical, accessible, and affordable service for those in need.
Sensational kids also have a development and learning store in Kildare town and on their website.
CAINT
Caint Services provided by CAINT Speech Therapy include assessments, intervention and 1:1 individualised therapy from our speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and psychology departments.
CAINT have 3 clinics in Leinster and 1
is based in Naas. It is located in Devoy Quarter, Naas East, Naas, Co. Kildare W91 TF38 & contact number is 045 883 084.
Inspire
Inspire is a early Intervention Preschool for Autism Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy. They facilitate small groups that provide effective therapeutic input for your child’s needs & Training Services for Early Years Educators, Parents, Teachers in Primary School and SNA’s.
Inspire offer social groups such as Yoga for Children, Play Therapy, Sensory Play, Motor Skills & many more!
Advocacy Support & Resources
Irish Society for Autism
The Irish Society for Autism provides multiple Autism training courses, complete research and advocate about Autism. In addition to this, they organise conferences and seminars featuring world-renowned experts in the field of Autism.
Contact Number: 01 874 4684
Website: www.autism.ie
ASIAM
Asiam is Ireland’s National Autism Charity. They advocate, provide training and organise conferences on Autism.
Contact Number: 01 445 3203
Website: www.asiam.ie
Middletown Centre
Middletown Centre for Autism designs training programmes to suit the needs of Parents & educational professionals.
Contact Number: 028 3751 5750
Website: middletownautism.com
National Disability Authority
The National Disability Authority (NDA) is the independent state body providing expert advice on disability policy and practice to the government and the public sector, and promoting Universal Design in Ireland.
Contact Number: 01 608 0400
Website: www.nda.ie
Inclusion Ireland
Inclusion Ireland provides an information and advice service to people with an intellectual disability, their families and also to services that support people with an intellectual disability as well as students and others doing research in the sector.
Contact Number: 01 855 9891
Website: www.inclusionireland.ie
Mental Health Support & Resources
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
Linn Dara CAMHS North Kildare (Celbridge)
Contact Number: 01 921 4002
9.00am – 5.00pm – Mon to Fri
Linn Dara CAMHS Kildare
(Naas)
Contact Number: 045 873 880
9.00am – 5.00pm – Mon to Fri
CAMHS South Kildare
(Kildare town)
Contact Number: 045 908 580
9.00am – 5.00pm – Mon to Fri
Pieta House
Pieta provides a professional one-to-one therapeutic service to people who are in suicidal distress, those who engage in self-harm and those bereaved by suicide. It’s 24-hour support and all of their services are free of charge.
Contact Number: 0818 111 126
Website: www.pieta.ie
Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP)
IACP is a link between those who are looking for Counselling/Psychotherapy and those who provide Counselling/Psychotherapy for those who wish to avail of their service.
Contact Number: 01 230 3536
Website: www.iacp.ie
Benefits & Entitlements Resources
Explanation
In this section, we explain the additional support you can claim from the DSP towards the cost of providing care and supporting your child. When you first receive a diagnosis, it can be a very daunting and scary place to be.
With all the information below and other references to some of the fantastic support groups on Facebook etc, we believe all this support will give you the knowledge and guidance you need to start you off on your autism journey and hopefully make navigating it all a little less daunting!
Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA)
The DCA is a non-means-tested Social Welfare Payment of €309 per month, that a parent is entitled to claim when they have a child with additional care needs. The parent or guardian must prove that their child’s care needs are over and above the care needs of a similar-aged child.
A diagnosis is not absolutely necessary, but most parents do not apply for DCA until they have a diagnosis. You can apply during the assessment process and send in reports after. The DCA application form can be downloaded from the Department of Social Protection below.
This process can take a long time to complete and it takes a lot of time and effort. Constantly writing information that seems to be so negative about your child’s abilities can be very draining and upsetting.
There is a Facebook group called DCA Warriors which is a superb resource that gives guidance and support for the application. You will find so much information in the files section in the group, setting out how to start and what to include with your application.
It can take up to 18-20 weeks for the DSP to process the application. The payment will be back dated to the date of application. You can also apply for 6 months backdating after you get awarded the DCA.
Carers Support Grant
The Carers Support Grant (formally known as the respite grant) is a yearly payment of €1700 paid on the 1st Thursday in June. Once you are in receipt of DCA this is automatically paid through your chosen option of payment.
Incapacitated Child Tax Credit
Carers Benefit and Carers Allowance
Carers Benefit is a non-means tested Social Welfare Payment of €220 per week for 1 care recipient. A parent can qualify if they have been employed for at least 8 weeks in the previous 26 week period of commencing the leave. You must meet the PRSI contributions. You can either not work at all or work up to 18.5 hours per week. The Benefit payable is for 104 weeks. The 104 weeks can be taken in a single period or in separate periods. You are entitled to unpaid Carers leave from your employer for 104 weeks.
Carers leave is not to be confused with Parental leave which is granted at the discretion of the employer. Some employers don’t realise this!
If you are already receiving the DCA payment, the medical part of the Carers Benefit form doesn’t need to be filled in as the DCA proves you are already a Carer. This makes the application much more straightforward and saves time.
Carers Allowance
To qualify you must prove you are a carer and being in receipt of the DCA will satisfy this requirement. You must satisfy a means test of your income and/or your partners income. You may be entitled to half rate carers if you are in receipt of another Social Welfare payment. You can work up to 18.5 hours per week.
The 1st €332.50 by a single carer or €665 per couple per weekly income is disregarded when the means are being assessed.
Disability Allowance
Disability Allowance is a weekly allowance paid to people with a disability. You can get Disability Allowance from 16 years of age. If you are in education when you turn 16, you can continue to attend school.
To qualify for Disability Allowance (DA) you must:
- Have an injury, disease or physical or mental disability that has continued, or may be expected to continue, for at least one year
- As a result of this disability be substantially restricted in undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable for a person of your age, experience and qualifications
- Be aged between 16 and 66. When you reach 66 years of age you no longer qualify for DA, but you are assessed for a State pension.
Satisfy a means test
Satisfy the habitual residence condition
Want to get Involved?
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