Abalta School

Ábalta School was born out of the identified need for children with autism to get a specific focused education. In July, 2001, six sets of parents came together to establish the school and had it up and running by September, 2001. It took eight months of hard work, political negotiating, and lobbying, culminating with a high court case to attain funding from the state. Ábalta opened in September, 2001, with six students. Four of these children had, prior to attending Ábalta, been educated in home-based ABA programmes. The other two children had been receiving other types of autism services.

Ábalta School expanded in 2003 to cater for 12 children at a site in Cuan Glas in Galway. In 2005 Ábalta School opened an additional facility in Newcastle in Galway to cater for an additional six children. Ábalta currently caters for 18 children and has had four of its students transfer into mainstream services.Abalta’s logo consists of a number of building blocks which represent the ethos behind the education methodology used in the school, known as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). This methodology breaks down educational tasks into tiny building blocks which a child with autism can be taught. The blocks are put together to teach a child a skill.