Ros Na Réaltóg

14/10/2026

🌿🌿 In January 2023, the Irish Examiner reported on our early intervention project at Ros na Réaltóg.

We knew children were waiting too long. We worked hard to build early intervention support, funded it ourselves and continued supporting the children when the financial support we sought from the Department of Education did not come through.

Now, our recent Freedom of Information response shows 461 children in Mayo awaiting an Assessment of Need.

Three years on, the need remains. Behind every number is a child and a family waiting for answers and support. ❤️

📰 Article: Irish Examiner, Jess Casey, 3 January 2023.
📊 Mayo waiting-list figure: our recent FOI response, 2026.

12/10/2026

🌿 For 7 years, families came to Ros na Réaltóg from near and far because they loved our school. ❤️

They valued the warmth and welcome, the kindness and love shown to their children, the outdoor learning and the opportunities to explore and grow. They valued our dedicated, qualified and caring staff, the sense of community and the lasting friendships. Many families returned with their younger children.

They chose us because their children were happy, welcomed and understood. Tusla and the Department of Education reports also recognised the value of our school and the provision we offered.

For seven years, I poured my experience, time, energy and personal resources into that community. My intention was always to create a beautiful, safe place where every child could learn, grow and belong.

Our forest school welcomed children of all abilities. Our experience also enabled us to offer additional support to children and families who needed it.

Together with our parents, we pursued every avenue available to us to resolve the situation, seeking meetings, negotiation and mediation so our school could continue serving its families.

My reason for speaking out remains the same: our children, our families and the value of a school they loved.

It is heartbreaking to drive past now and see the gates locked and the grounds overgrown. No little voices, no children climbing the trees or playing in the field. A place once full of life is quiet.

Personal comments about me cannot erase the care, dedication and good work that went into those seven years. I will continue doing my best for children and advocating for their needs and their right to be heard.

We are working on other projects to support our children. Ros na Réaltóg is not forgotten, and the commitment that built it continues. 🌱

This work reaches beyond me. It is about children in our villages, across our county and throughout our country.

You do not have to agree with me to join me in putting children first.

Thank you to every family, staff member and supporter who helped make Ros na Réaltóg a place children loved. ❤️

12/10/2026

🌿 For 7 years, families came to Ros na Réaltóg from near and far because they loved our school. ❤️

They valued the warmth and welcome, the kindness and love shown to their children, the outdoor learning and the opportunities to explore and grow. They valued our dedicated, qualified and caring staff, the sense of community and the lasting friendships. Many families returned with their younger children.

They chose us because their children were happy, welcomed and understood. Tusla and the Department of Education reports also recognised the value of our school and the provision we offered.

For seven years, I poured my experience, time, energy and personal resources into that community. My intention was always to create a beautiful, safe place where every child could learn, grow and belong.

Our forest school welcomed children of all abilities. Our experience also enabled us to offer additional support to children and families who needed it.

Together with our parents, we pursued every avenue available to us to resolve the situation, seeking meetings, negotiation and mediation so our school could continue serving its families.

My reason for speaking out remains the same: our children, our families and the value of a school they loved.

It is heartbreaking to drive past now and see the gates locked and the grounds overgrown. No little voices, no children climbing the trees or playing in the field. A place once full of life is quiet.

Personal comments about me cannot erase the care, dedication and good work that went into those seven years. I will continue doing my best for children and advocating for their needs and their right to be heard.

We are working on other projects to support our children. Ros na Réaltóg is not forgotten, and the commitment that built it continues. 🌱

This work reaches beyond me. It is about children in our villages, across our county and throughout our country.

You do not have to agree with me to join me in putting children first.

Thank you to every family, staff member and supporter who helped make Ros na Réaltóg a place children loved. ❤️

09/10/2026

Mayo’s children need support now—and a clear plan for September 2027.

Thank you to Paul Lawless TD and The Mayo News for highlighting the closure of Ros na Réaltóg Forest School. Our closure raises wider questions about support for children, families and schools across County Mayo.

Ros na Réaltóg was a mainstream preschool, not a special school. We welcomed children with a range of abilities and needs. Because of our teachers’ qualifications and experience, we also provided information, helped families with referrals and the assessment process, and offered early intervention support.

Families had experienced teachers they could turn to when they were concerned about their child’s development. Our closure meant losing that trusted guidance and support, alongside the preschool places themselves.

This matters when so many families are already waiting for help.

At the end of June 2026, 451 Assessment of Need applications were overdue for completion in Mayo. That is the figure for that date, rather than a confirmed October total. Behind every application is a child and a family waiting for answers.

An Assessment of Need should ordinarily begin within three months and be completed within a further three months. However, the reported national average assessment duration for reports completed between April and June 2026 was - 24.3 months—just over two years.

And receiving an assessment does not answer the next question: when will the child actually receive the support they need? Families need access to speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and other appropriate services. The HSE says children do not need an Assessment of Need to access health services, but families must be able to obtain those services in practice.

What does this mean for September 2027?

The 451 overdue applications do not mean 451 children need special-class places. Some may need additional support in mainstream classrooms. Others may need a special class or special school.

But delayed assessments can make it harder to identify children’s needs early enough to plan suitable places, staffing and support. We cannot wait until the summer before school starts to discover that provision is missing.

The NCSE is already gathering information for September 2027. Parents seeking a special-class or special-school place should notify it, even if they are still waiting for reports. Parents must also apply directly to schools; notifying the NCSE is not a school application.

Across Ireland, families have reported children remaining in preschool for an additional year because a suitable school place was unavailable. An extra preschool year should be based on a child’s needs and an informed family decision. It should never be forced on a family because there is nowhere suitable for their child to go.

Our teachers and SNAs need proper support too. A classroom alone is not enough. Staff need adequate staffing, practical training, planning time, suitable resources and access to specialist advice.

Teachers and SNAs work hard to support children every day. They cannot be expected to fill the gaps left by unavailable therapies and services.

Mayo families deserve clear answers:

How many children will need additional school supports in September 2027?

How many suitable places will be available, and where?

How will children still waiting for assessment be included in planning?

What practical support will teachers and SNAs receive?

Who will take responsibility if a child is left without a suitable place?

Ros na Réaltóg showed the value of an inclusive preschool where experienced teachers worked closely with families. Services like this need to be recognised and protected as part of the support children receive in their communities.

Our children have one childhood. They should not spend it waiting for assessments, intervention or a suitable place in school. ❤️ 🌿

Paul Lawless TD has urged the Department of Children to bring the preschool provider and school board together to find a solution for families of children with additional needs

08/10/2026

A heartfelt thank you to Paul Lawless TD and his office for raising the closure of Ros na Réaltóg Forest School in the Dáil today and highlighting the valuable role our service has played in supporting children and families in our community.

Ros na Réaltóg provided early years education and early intervention support for all children, with particular care for children with additional needs. I am deeply grateful that Paul has asked Minister for Children Norma Foley and Deputy Emer Higgins to examine the circumstances surrounding our closure, the questions of governance, and the opportunities for mediation that may have been missed. His request to explore a resolution—or an alternative way forward—means so much to the families affected.

My work and my intentions have always centred on our children: their wellbeing, their entitlement to education and inclusion, and our duty of care towards them.

Ros na Réaltóg was created to open a door—and a gate—to a beautiful, safe environment where every child could belong. Alongside dedicated, skilled and caring practitioners, children learned through play, nature, exploration and a hands-on approach that respected their individual needs. Working together with families, we built a community where children were valued and supported to flourish.

Behind this closure are children whose familiar routines, relationships and opportunities have been disrupted, and families who deserve to be heard.

Thank you, Paul and your team, for bringing their needs into the Dáil and helping to keep a way forward on the agenda. I am hugely grateful.

Our children have always been at the heart of Ros na Réaltóg. They remain at the heart of everything I am working towards. 🌿💚♥️

30/09/2026

With gratitude to Erika Anderson and Amy Campbell 💚

I am so grateful to Erika and Amy for coming to Ireland, working with our children and sharing their knowledge, time and experience with families and educators.

As a teacher working with nonspeaking autistic children, I value opportunities to make learning more accessible, engaging and meaningful. RPM’s Teach–Ask approach offers a way of structuring lessons around interesting topics, with opportunities to respond through choices and pointing.

For me, this work brings an important reminder: we must give children opportunities to learn, without allowing their ability to speak to determine the opportunities we offer them.

Thank you, Erika and Amy, for your dedication and for helping us reflect on what we can do in our own teaching. Your willingness to travel, share and work alongside families is deeply appreciated.

Here in Ireland, we can carry that commitment forward by supporting parents, sharing knowledge with teachers and SNAs, adapting lessons and creating welcoming spaces where children have time to participate at their own pace.

At Ros Na Réaltóg, my commitment remains to nurture curiosity, nourish confidence and make room for every child’s individuality.

Thank you for the time, care and encouragement you bring to our children and families. It means so much. 💚🌳✨

ACE Institute ❤️

22/09/2026

CRISIS IN THE CLASSROOM WILL BE AIRED ON TV ON MONDAY 28th September:

WHY EARLY INTERVENTION MATTERS;

Across Mayo, classrooms are under increasing pressure. Children are entering school without timely access to assessments, therapies, specialist placements or the early intervention support they desperately need.

Early intervention is not a luxury. It helps children develop communication, emotional regulation, independence, confidence and a sense of belonging. It can reduce distress, prevent school refusal and give families practical support before they reach crisis point.

For seven years, Ros na Réaltóg worked to provide that vital foundation through outdoor learning, sensory regulation, communication support and an inclusive, child-centred approach. We supported children who were waiting—waiting for assessments, waiting for services and waiting for appropriate educational placements.

Then, on 13 July 2026, during our summer camp, we were LOCKED OUT 💔

Our children lost their familiar environment. Families who had trusted and relied upon our service were displaced. Children who needed consistency, safety and routine were left without the support they had come to know.

At a time when schools are struggling and teachers and SNAs are expected to respond to increasingly complex needs, why would an established early-intervention service be prevented from continuing its work?

When early support disappears, the need does not disappear. It follows the child into the classroom. It can emerge as distress, withdrawal, communication difficulties, sensory overload or behaviour that is too often misunderstood.

Ros na Réaltóg was not simply a preschool. It was a bridge—for children, families and schools.

We are asking our elected representatives, education authorities and disability services to recognise what has been lost and to help us establish a secure, independent home where this work can continue.

Because when we invest in children early, we do more than prevent a crisis in the classroom.

We give every child the opportunity to communicate, participate, belong and thrive.

22/09/2026

CRISIS IN THE CLASSROOM WILL BE AIRED ON TV ON MONDAY 28th September:

WHY EARLY INTERVENTION MATTERS;

Across Mayo, classrooms are under increasing pressure. Children are entering school without timely access to assessments, therapies, specialist placements or the early intervention support they desperately need.

Early intervention is not a luxury. It helps children develop communication, emotional regulation, independence, confidence and a sense of belonging. It can reduce distress, prevent school refusal and give families practical support before they reach crisis point.

For seven years, Ros na Réaltóg worked to provide that vital foundation through outdoor learning, sensory regulation, communication support and an inclusive, child-centred approach. We supported children who were waiting—waiting for assessments, waiting for services and waiting for appropriate educational placements.

Then, on 13 July 2026, during our summer camp, we were LOCKED OUT 💔

Our children lost their familiar environment. Families who had trusted and relied upon our service were displaced. Children who needed consistency, safety and routine were left without the support they had come to know.

At a time when schools are struggling and teachers and SNAs are expected to respond to increasingly complex needs, why would an established early-intervention service be prevented from continuing its work?

When early support disappears, the need does not disappear. It follows the child into the classroom. It can emerge as distress, withdrawal, communication difficulties, sensory overload or behaviour that is too often misunderstood.

Ros na Réaltóg was not simply a preschool. It was a bridge—for children, families and schools.

We are asking our elected representatives, education authorities and disability services to recognise what has been lost and to help us establish a secure, independent home where this work can continue.

Because when we invest in children early, we do more than prevent a crisis in the classroom.

We give every child the opportunity to communicate, participate, belong and thrive.



https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ddj-SFNIJ4l/?stkn=aXN3aDRuY3dyZWJr

14/09/2026

Due to a bereavement in the community, the visit of Sam MaGuire Cup is postponed!