Athas School Quicklinks:
School Ethos| Individualised Education Plan | Application Form download

About the School

Áthas School is an ABA school in County Mayo, Ireland. It serves children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The school employs methods based on the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis, which have been demonstrated to be effective in the education and treatment of autism. It aims to improve the lives of children with autism by developing individualised programs to address the unique academic, social, communication, and behavioural needs of the students.

The school was set up by Mayo Autism Action, a group of parents determined to access appropriate education for their children in the Mayo area. Preparations for the school, centrally located in the IRD building in Kiltimagh, began in 2007. The area was renovated and equipped to accommodate the first group of children during the summer of 2008, providing space for a number of children to access much needed speech and occupational therapy. The school officially opened in September 2008, and is now serving four children ranging from 5 years to 17 years old, with plans of expanding as resources allow. Each child receives individualised instruction by highly trained staff, under the supervision of the school Director, a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst with a background in School Psychology and Supervisor of Education who holds a Masters Degree in ABA. Future plans include identifying a Speech and Language Therapist and Occupational Therapist for the school to provide a truly comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to education. The school also plans to provide structured training opportunities and additional support for parents, teachers, and others involved in the care and education of children with autism.

To date, Áthas has received no funding from the department of education and relies totally on fundraising efforts of friends, family and individuals in the community. The Croagh Patrick Challenge is the biggest annual fundraiser

Individualised Education Plan
The individualised education plan (IEP) is developed through a collaborative process involving the school, parents as well as other relevant personnel and agencies such as occupational therapists (OT), and speech and language therapists (SLT) .

An IEP is a written document which specifies the learning goals that are to be achieved by the student over a set period of time. The strategies, resources and supports necessary to achieve these goals are also specified in the IEP.

As the name implies, the educational program should be tailored to the individual student to provide maximum educational benefit. The key word is individual. A program that is appropriate for one child with autism may not be appropriate for another. The amount of adaptation and support will vary according to the individual learning needs of each student.

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School Ethos
Áthas provides a child-centred approach to teaching children with autism. We feel that ABA is the best method for delivering this education which should incorporate elements of whatever curricula best meet the needs of the individual. The principle reason for this is that ABA facilitates the moment to moment monitoring of a child's progress at everything they are learning, whether it is progress in toilet training, reading, or mainstream participation.

Application Form
Click here to downlaod our Applciation form in PDF format

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