Mary Jane’s fight to help daughter

By Tamara O’Connell

A DUNDALK mother is desperate to get therapies for her daughter who has been diagnosed with severe non-verbal autism and an intellectual disability. Mary Jane Maguire from Laurel Brook Gardens is fighting to get speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and behavioural therapy for her daughter, Mary Kate.

“Mary Kate is 12-years-old and has been attending St Mary’s Drumcar since she was five-years-old,” said Mary Jane.

“During her first four years of school my daughter received four half hour Speech and Language Therapy sessions in a classroom with six other children and nothing more, at which point I took the HSE/ disability services Louth and Tusla to court.

“I was told that my daughter would receive all the services she needed if I gave up my rights as a parent and gave my daughter into State care as in that case my daughter’s care would be paid directly from the State.”

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