Audrey Dore Geraghty: The reality of parenting a child with Autism & profound needs
What A Woman PodcastShow Notes
Our guest this week is Audrey Dore Geraghty who has bravely spoken out about her family's daily struggle to get the right care, respite and medication for her nine year-old son who has Autism and several mental health conditions which mean his care needs are significant and becoming unmanageable at home. We talk about:
- When her son was first diagnosed and how his behaviour has escalated and become more violent
- Why Audrey was forced to go to Spain for her son's treatment
- How she has been failed by the country's leaders and Camhs, the Children & Adolescent Mental Health Service in Ireland and other health services
- Why having a broad definition of Autism Spectrum Disorder can be problematic
- The impact of managing her son's care on her other children and her marriage
- Audrey's hopes and fears for her son's future
Audrey and her husband are based in county Wexford and have two other children aged seven and nearly one. They are both dentists by profession and Audrey heads up a Cosmetic and Orthodontic department on a part-time basis when she is not caring for her son, as she and her husband share the care between them. We really admire Audrey's strength and fight in what is an unbearably hard situation for her and many families in a similar situation and we hope that by sharing these experiences, there will be change.
Follow Audrey:
@audz83dg
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