Kate Raftery, from Dublin, addressed parents camping outside the Department of Education to protest over a lack of special education school places
Kate Raftery, a 19-year-old autistic woman from Ashbourne, Ireland, shared her experience of thriving in a special school and struggling in mainstream settings. Diagnosed with autism at 17, she also has dyslexia, dyspraxia, hypermobility, anxiety, and depression. After attending four schools, she found success at a school for dyslexic children, where she learned to read and write. She criticized the lack of special school places and urged support for others facing similar challenges.
