A fundamental system change is needed both in terms of resources and culture for autistic children, the CEO of AsIAm has said.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland on World Autism Day, Adam Harris said the challenge of accessing special classes for is a perennial problem and it is not good enough.
He said autistic children and their parents need to be given certainty around their school places.
"Most parents have an element of parental choice about where their child goes to school. Our parents are frequently having to settle for places that are not appropriate or risk simply having nowhere to go to."
Mr Harris said the Department of Education has been underestimating the prevelance of autism and the number of follow on places required for "quite some time".
In addition worrying trends are emerging where newly qualified teachers are being placed in special classes and are unable to meet children's needs, he said, and this is because there is a rush to open classes.
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Ultimately the State has a constitutional obligation to deliver, Mr Harris said, and it is critical that everything is done to ensure every child has a school place.
He added that home tuition is not a substitution for an appropriate class and it is inappropriate for children, particularly those with sensory differences, to have to travel long distances in order to access a school place.
It comes as a group of parents without a suitable school place for their children are staging a 24-hour sleep out at Leinster House.
The same group recently staged a similar overnight protest outside the Department of Education.
