Last winter this newspaper disclosed the shocking circumstances in which Lewis O'Carolan and his parents live in Dublin. The 14-year-old boy who used to be happy and curious has become locked in a painful world of autism. He has lost his speech and has become destructive. His parents devote their lives to him. Their suffering is obvious to anyone who has seen the photographs taken outside the High Court last week after they lost their bid to have him funded to go to the Bangor Centre for Developmental Disabilities, a service run by the University of Wales.
Instead the court has ruled in favour of a Health Service Executive (HSE) plan to have him cared for and educated at the Woodlawn centre located on the grounds of St Ita's Hospital in Portrane, Co Dublin. Lewis O'Carolan's parents fear he will end up being controlled by medication in a psychiatric institution. The service at Portrane is run by St Joseph's Intellectual Disability Service. That service and its staff have, in the past, been praised by parents for responding to their needs and those of their children.
That does not make it the right place for Lewis nor does it make it the best place for him. This is the crux of the matter. Previous offers made to the boy's parents include the provision of swimming lessons, music therapy and a home help. They were also offered education and therapy at a sports hall in Cabra. Then they were offered Woodlawn. This paints a picture of the State, through the HSE and the Department of Education, searching around desperately for an answer to the embarrassing problems raised by this one family.
These events demonstrate the failure of the State to develop a cohesive, planned service for autistic children and adults. Had it done so, a cohesive, planned service is what would have been offered to Lewis, long before his parents ever had to think of going to the courts. This is a disgraceful lapse. Cases such as that of Lewis O'Carolan have been highlighted over the years by families driven to desperation. Parents have fought tooth and nail for decades for their autistic children.
What has been done? The answer is that nothing approaching any degree of adequacy has been achieved. The HSE and the Department of Education need to set about creating a service for autistic children and adults which will answer this question: what can we do to enable people with autism to live satisfying lives to the best of their abilities? For decades, parents and campaigners have been asking the State to address this issue. It must do so.