The vulnerable people in our society, in particular our citizens with an intellectual disability or on the autistic spectrum are suffering during this pandemic. They do not understand the restrictions or the risks involved with COVID-19. In general, they are a cohort of people that love interaction, hand shaking and hugging. They miss their friends. They love routine and like to know the plan. For some, change is a nightmare that causes fear and distress resulting in the whole family being upset. So be assured that families are suffering with extra caring duties.

At this point in time, it is difficult to envisage what a return to the services that involve them in community activities, theatre groups, drama and sports will look like. Services as we know them will probably never be the same. This will be hugely challenging for families and we are worried. It is also difficult for service providers to know how best to move forward.

Some families and carers are struggling to cope with challenging behaviour

My son Diarmuid has not left the farm to go anywhere since Tuesday 3 March. Although he might not think so; the farm has been his lifeline keeping him active and busy. He is spending too much time in front of screens, but there’s not much else to do. I feel guilty when I know he’s in front of another episode of Friends or Charmed. He gets stuck in something and is quite happy to watch it over and over.

Many parents and carers will understand what I’m talking about. Others will wish that their son or daughter was happy to sit for any length of time. Some families and carers are struggling to cope with challenging behaviour which really is a nice way of describing being screamed at or even hit or punched. Services can’t reopen soon enough for families, but it has to be safe to do so. When that will be is the difficult question.

Graduations

When schools shut abruptly in March halting traditional learning, it was a huge blow to young people. School fosters friendships and peer group interaction. This is particularly tough on those finishing school. Many schools are finding ways of marking the end of the academic year. Scoil Mhuire gan Smá, Blarney had their Leaving Cert school mass last week. One hundred and ten cars arrived to the school field. The students stood outside the cars and came up in turn to get a certificate and a candle. The principal Padraig Sheehan and his team gave the students a great send off.

Three months of this has been lost in all special schools across the country

People with intellectual disabilities need this kind of closure too. Transitioning is a big challenge for them. They find it difficult to change from one period in their lives to the next. They need support with this. It takes lots of preparation, planning, talking, imagining, social stories and so on to give them the confidence to move on. Three months of this has been lost in all special schools across the country.

They were supported by other teachers and school staff

The staff in our school had been trying to find a way of marking their graduation from Our Lady of Good Counsel School under COVID-19 restrictions and giving them the strength to go forward. The principal Aisling Heidt and the class teacher Ray Murphy hatched a plan for a drive-in graduation ceremony. They were supported by other teachers and school staff. It was held last week. We had nine school leavers present. One student, Shay, was unable to attend.

Pascal Sheehy honoured us with his presence and the students got the accolade they deserved on the RTÉ News: One O’Clock and Six One shows last Friday

The family cars arrived festooned with balloons. They parked up facing a blank wall of Ballincollig’s GAA building onto which was projected a slide show of each student’s school life story. Food was delivered to the cars before a movie of school musical and dance events. Each student came up the red carpet to Aisling for a certificate proffered by a litter grabber decorated with fairy lights. I gave each one a boxed graduation cake as they went back to the car.

Ordinarily, we would have made them together in school. Pascal Sheehy honoured us with his presence and the students got the accolade they deserved on the RTÉ News: One O’Clock and Six One shows last Friday. So the occasion was both memorable and poignant. Cara, Chibuzo, Eoin, Joash, Kelly, Matthew, Oisín, Laura and David could not interact with each other or us. Nevertheless, graduation took place. The next step for these young people is to receive places for their vocational training for the next three years. I hope this will happen for them soon.