"I Feel Useless. I Want To Die," Says Newbridge Teenager With Autism Who Has No Secondary School Place

Speaking to Kfm News, his grandfather, Jim Stowe, says the family feel like they have “exhausted all options”.

A Newbridge family says they’ve been left in a “heart-breaking” situation as their 15-year-old son remains without a secondary school place.

Leon Stowe, who has mild autism, completed his primary school education at Scoil Bhríde on the Sallins Road in Naas in June 2024, where his family say he “thrived”.

But despite months of applications, appeals and contact with multiple agencies, he still has no secondary school to attend.

Speaking on Kildare Today, his grandfather, Jim Stowe, says the family feel like they have “exhausted all options”.

“Leon is 15 and he has mild autism. We’ve really struggled from the time he was a child in getting education for him. He thrived in Scoil Bhríde, but since he graduated we’ve been playing catch-up ever since.”

The family says delays securing a psychological assessment early last year meant they couldn’t apply on time for ASD unit places for the 2024/2025 academic year.

Although the report was completed through the school in February, they say they had already missed the enrolment deadlines for all secondary schools in the county.

They contacted “various agencies”, including Tusla, throughout the summer for help. 

But when the new school year began, the family discovered they would need to reapply to each school individually - and that none of the previous efforts by agencies had carried over.

They applied to schools across Newbridge, Naas, Athy, Castledermot, Monasterevin and Prosperous. 

Mr Stowe says they narrowly missed out on a place:

“In one case, another application came in just before ours and we lost out. For every one place, there could be 12 or 13 families applying.”

The family applied for an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) place at St. Conleth’s in Newbridge but they say no response regarding that application was received by the family.

In some cases, the family applied to ASD places twice but say they received no response from some schools.

Out of desperation, they submitted a mainstream application - something they say was completely unsuitable for Leon’s needs.

One school advised the family that Leon was too old to enter first year and suggested placing him in third year instead. 

But that year group is already oversubscribed, leaving him on a waiting list.

Leon’s mother, Emma Stowe, says the family has been here before.

He didn’t start primary school until age seven because they couldn’t secure a place.

This year, they again applied for ASD units, in some cases twice, but received no response from some schools.

Out of desperation, they submitted a mainstream application - something they say was completely unsuitable for Leon’s needs.

One school, St. Conleth's Community College in Naas, advised the family that Leon was too old to enter first year and suggested placing him in third year instead. 

But that year group is already oversubscribed, as evidenced in a letter issued to the family last October.

The impact on Leon has been severe. 

Mr Stowe says the 15-year-old cannot understand why he is at home while his classmates are in school:

“He says he feels worthless. He uses words like ‘useless’ and says, ‘I just want to die.’ It’s very hard to deal with as a family. He knows the problem is with the system.”

Emma Stowe, Leon's mother, says routine is essential for him.

“He loves school. He did very well in primary, but now he’s out of that loop. We’re trying to distract him and keep him busy, but he’s isolated.”

The family sought home tuition but say they are “not having much success” in progressing that either.

Mr Stowe says they are now taking things “one small step at a time”:

“If I dwelled on it too much, my stress levels would be through the roof. The system and the workload are letting local support organisations down. Everything seems to be very complex.”

Leon turns 16 next June, and the family fear he will fall completely out of the education system.

“Once he reaches that age, we’re afraid the system will just wash their hands of him. His education has stopped at primary level.”

Outside of a youth club in Newbridge, Leon has no regular contact with peers his own age.

Mr Stowe says the family will continue to fight for a place - or clarity on home education - but fear they may be forced to start the entire process again next year.

Kfm has contacted both the Department of Education and Department of Children for comment. 

In a statement to Kfm News, Principal of St. Conleth's Community School, Patricia O Brien, said: "In relation to your email dated 19th November at 15.12pm it is not our policy to comment on any individual. I can say, that the Patron & Management of the school are happy that the Admissions Policy and Process have been fully adhered to."