Shine Blog

Tickets for the 2024 Front Row Fashion Show are now on sale:   Join us for an electrifying evening of style at the Front Row Fashion Show! Get ready to witness the latest trends as some of Cork’s leading retailers as they showcase their collections on the runway. The event will take place on Thursday, February 15, […]

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL PARTENTS WHO HAVE USED OR AVAILED OF ASSESSMENT OF NEED PROCESS FROM H.S.E. SINCE SEPTEMBER 1ST 2023.   Please note that we are advising ALL parents who have had their child assessed under assessment of need process from HSE that they should check the assessment summary report, returned to assessment officer, […]

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE SHINE CENTRE AND MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE THIS CHRISTMAS? Support our Festive Friends Raffle this festive season and help our services reach more families in 2024. It’s so easy and great fun because every raffle card wins a cuddly Christmas Sort Toy 60cm(2 ft) Soft Toy […]

Autism An Understanding:   Training Course – Maryborough Hotel Wednesday 15th November 2023 CPD Accredited – 7 CPD Points Price: €60.00 per person     About This Course: Unlock a deeper understanding of autism at our upcoming day-long CPD accredited course, “Autism: An Understanding,” taking place on Wednesday, November 15th, 2023, at the Maryborough Hotel […]

Why not grab your friends, get dressed up and join us for a great day out at the Clayton Hotel-Cork to support the work of the Shine Centre After the success of the 2022 Ladies Lunch we are delighted to host the event again this year. For those who have not attended the event previously, […]

  Great Night Out For A Great Cause:  Why not get dressed up, grab some friends and head to Mabel Lane for a night of fashion and fun. On  Thursday 20th April Mabel Lane Bar & Restaurant, Carrigaline will be hosting ‘Front Row’ – a Spring fashion event in aid of Cork Shine Centre for Autism […]

          Following an inspection by the TUSLA Early Years Inspectorate under Section 58(J) of the Childcare Act 1991 of the Shine Early Intervention Unit on the 24th of November 2022 the service was found to be fully compliant with all of the inspection criteria.    Please click on the link below […]

At Shine we provide services and support to many hundreds of children and families every year. These support services make a real difference in people’s lives and are vital in supporting families who are struggling and need our help. To do this we need your support as we rely on fundraising revenues and donations to […]

What is the Gateway Programme? Gateway is a coach led, positive action employment programme to help young autistic adults to access the workplace for the first time. Gateway is a supportive coach led process to assist both the young adult in sourcing suitable employment and providing them with ongoing support during their work placement. The […]

1. Re-thinking Stress: Starts 27th September, 2022 Dates: Tuesday 27/09/22, Tuesday 04/10/22, Tuesday 11/10/22 Time: 7.30pm to 9pm Location: Shine Centre, Carrigaline, Co Cork Cost: €30 Description: Parenting can be stressful and parenting a child with additional needs can bring further stress and challenges for some parents. When we experience stress it directly affects how […]

Click on photo to expand and view: The National Learning Network are running an information session here in the Carrigaline Family Support Centre on Thursday the 1st of September at 10am for their Focus programme. This is a free year-long personal development programme for anyone over the age of 18 who has had a difficult time […]

  We are thrilled to welcome best selling author, autism expert and Netflix Love on the Spectrum expert, Jennifer Cook to Shine Educate events on Wednesday 29th of June. Jennifer will explore developing and instilling autistic pride. Jennifer says “Being proud of who and how you are can be tough when, quite frankly, you spend […]

About: After an enforced absence of two years we are delighted to be hosting the 2022 Shine Ladies Lunch on the 11th of June at the Clayton Hotel Cork City. This is a hugely important event for us as it gives our mothers, friends and families an opportunity to enjoy a day out and socialise. […]

We are pleased to announce the launch of Shine Educate. Shine Educate is a training and information portal that has been developed by Shine Ireland to provide online training and webinars for children, parents, carers and professionals with evidence based training and informational programmes. In the coming weeks and months Shine Educate will feature range […]

    We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting application s for the Shine Early Learning Unit for the academic year commencing September 2021. Please click on the link for more information and to download a registration form. https://shineireland.com/early-learning-unit/

  A Statement from Shine Ireland on the RTE Investigates Report 25th March 2021: Following numerous contacts from our past and present service users, Shine Ireland is deeply concerned about the issues raised in the Prime Time Investigates report that aired on RTE 1 on the 25th March 2021. The programme highlighted the methods and […]

Support Shine this Christmas and you could win a Cosmetics & Wine Hamper:   Our fundraising campaign is a little different for Christmas 2020 because we are asking people to show their support for the Shine Centre by text this year. Just text the word “SHINE” to 50300 and donate €4 to support the programmes and services we provide […]

TUSLA Inspectors Report 2020: We are pleased to publish the results of our latest 2020 TUSLA Early Years Inspectorate Report. The Shine Centre was found to have exceeded the requirements of the regulations with no corrective measures or action plan required for the service. Click on the Link Below to View the Full Report:  TUSLA […]

Re-opening Update: Infection Prevention & Control Covid-19 Pandemic: The Shine Early Learning Unit has followed the the infection prevention and control guidance, policies and procedures and protocols for the re-opening of childcare settings during the Covid-19 Pandemic provided by the HSE, NPSC and TUSLA .   It is important for parents and for those who […]

Elena our Occupational Therapist has developed a social story for our kids about the importance of hand-washing  

  The HSE have produced a guide to help parents to support their child during the Covid 19 restrictions. Remember try to maintain a routine and follow this set pattern every day – predictability is reassuring, especially at times of upheaval and change. Click on the link below to view the guide. Click Here to […]

The Shine Early Learning Unit operates under a Group Tuition Scheme with Department of Special Education as part of the Home Tuition Scheme.  Any child attending the Shine Early Education Unit must first qualify under the Home Tuition Grant Scheme. Please contact us and we will explain the application process to you. Grace O’Callaghan (ELU Manager) outlines the teaching […]

A Statement from the Shine Centre for Autism: As part of normal discourse Shine is always prepared to engage with and to accept the validity of comments and opinions of others when they differ from those of Shine. It is when those comments are unfair, unbalanced and untrue that we must act to clarify the […]

Anxiety & Autism:  This presentation will examine anxiety and autism and how it manifests, the individual nature of anxiety presentation and will also examine why people with a diagnosis of autism can be more prone to experiencing anxiety. Tactics and strategies which may assist your child in combating their anxiety will also be explored. Please be […]

  Join us for a Great Night Out and support a Great Cause at the Annual Shine Charity Ball on Saturday 15th February at the Maryborough Hotel. We are delighted to announce that tickets are now on sale for the 2020 Shine Valentines Ball on Saturday 15th of February 2020 at the Maryborough Hotel & […]

  We are delighted to announce that this year’s Shine Charity Ball will take place on Saturday 15th February 2020 at the Maryborough Hotel & Spa. Tickets go on sale on Monday 13th January priced at €90 per ticket and €850 for a Table of 10 guests. For more information on tickets and sponsorship options […]

Hi Everyone, Alma our Behavioural Specialist here at Shine will be doing a talk on Understanding Behaviour at the Maryborough Hotel on Tuesday 21st of January at 7.15pm. All are welcome to attend with tickets priced at just €10 but early booking is advised as numbers are limited. Please click on the link below for […]

A Parent Support Group will  take place in Cork commencing on the 04th of October 2019. The group will run for a period of 10 weekly session and will be facilitated by the Social & Health Education Project (SHEP). The fee is €25 per person and you can download the information sheet here:Information sheet Parents […]

We are delighted to announce that tickets are now on sale for the 2019 Shine Valentines Ball. Maryborough Hotel & Spa Saturday 09th February 2019                A great night is guaranteed with tickets are priced at just €85.00 and a table of 10 guests available for €800.00.   Guests […]

A Night At The Dogs Organised by the Cork Airport Charity Committee – Our Charity Partners for 2018   “A Great Night at the Dogs” supporting the work of the Shine Centre for Autism. The staff of Cork Airport are holding a “Night at the Dogs”fundraiser to support their 2018 charity partner The Shine Centre […]

                  We are delighted to announce that the staff of AVIVA Insurance in Cork have selected Shine as their charity partner for 2018. We are really looking forward to meeting and working with the staff in the coming months.  

  Last chance to get your table at this Friday’s Table Quiz Just €40.00 per table of 4 people Raffle & Charity Auction   Venue:   Douglas GAA Club   Look at the amazing auction items that you can bib for on Friday Night:   Fun Boat style kayak RRP €399     Reserve Price – €200 Educogym – […]

The 12th Annual Shine Ball will take place at the Maryborough Hotel & Spa on Saturday 10th February 2018. Tickets price at €85.00 each for this “great night for a great cause” are available from the Shine Centre on 021 4377052. But hurry!! We expect this event to sell out quickly. Thank You.

  Can you help Ralph the Reindeer to Brighten the Future for children with autism in Cork this Christmas? Hi Everyone, We would like you to meet Ralph the Reindeer. Ralph is a very soft and cuddly Christmas reindeer with a colourful Christmas jumper and hat and a big smile too. Ralph is pretty tall for […]

Place Available in the Shine Early Learning Unit This is a full time place in the Afternoon Session for 20 hours per week. This comprises of 5 x 4 hour sessions Monday to Friday form 1.30pm to 5.30pm. Children must be between the ages of 3 – 5 years with a diagnosis of autism. The […]

Autism Studies:   Two 12Week night courses for parents (& SNA’s*) Tuesday 6.30pm -9pm At Cork College of Commerce, we provide two courses for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). * SNA’s and others wishing to increase their level of ASD awareness may also apply for the programme:   Course One: Certificate in […]

TUSLA are looking for Foster Carers & Potential Foster Carers for Ben (Aged 4)     For a bright, affectionate 4 year old boy who has a diagnosis of childhood autism and developmental delay who needs a lot of attention. Ben is loving and has lots of hugs and smiles to offer. Ben sleeps well […]

Colette Quinn – Director of Shine Ireland was delighted to attend a cheque presentation ceremony with the Cork Foundation where four participating charities picked up their donation from the Pitch Your Project Event. Thank you to Padraic Vallely and his team at the Cork Foundation for organising the event.   Ends..

  Shine are delighted to announce the continuation of our funding partnership with the Bon Secours Hospital Cork. Since 2015 the Bon Secours Community Initiative Fund has funded the Social Skills for Autism App series which has been hugely successful both nationally and internationally with over 50,000 users. With the support of the Bon Secours […]

We were delighted to showcase our award winning Social Skills App series to the staff at our corporate charity partner Boston Scientific. The app was available on tablets and iPads for the staff to use. We were delighted with the response of the staff with a lots of questions on why the app was developed […]

    The wonderful Franklin College Chamber Choir from Indianapolis USA will perform in the beautiful surroundings of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral in Cork next Tuesday (28th March) at 8 pm. Admission is FREE. The Franklin College Chamber Choir last visited Cork in 2012 so don’t miss out on this opportunity to see them live. […]

We are delighted to announce that the Shine Centre have been announced as a finalist in the Cork Chamber of Commerce – Company of the Year Awards 2017 in the best “Non Profit Category”. A huge congratulations and thank you to all the members of our team who work so hard to make Shine such a […]

      The Shine Centre for Autism will host our eleventh Annual Charity Ball at the Maryborough Hotel & Spa on Saturday 11th February 2017. Our Valentine’s Charity Ball is a cornerstone event in helping us to fund the services we provide to our children and families.             Tickets […]

Shine were delighted to be invited to meet the staff of Boston Scientific at their facility on the Model Farm Road in Cork. Shine were given the opportunity to talk to the staff about our services, programmes and our projects for next year as part of the Company’s engagement process to choose their charity for 2017.   […]

  The Early Learning Unit students have been working hard on creating some beautiful Christmas decorations for their families as part of their Aistear work. Take a look… they are great!!             Well done everybody : )

Shine has launched our Elvin the Elf Campaign for Christmas 2016.     Elvin is a scout elf because he’s a little different from some of the other elves. He doesn’t like the noise and bright lights of Santa’s Workshop and sometimes prefers to be on his own away from all that commotion. Elvin has […]

At Shine our building is always busy with every space in every room used but we need more facilities to help our children grow and develop. So we need to think a little differently about how we can achieve this. Here are details of the projects that we hope to develop in 2017.     […]

Shine’s Social Skills for Autism App has passed 35,000 users in Nov 2016. The app modelled on the PALS Programme ( Personal & Life Skills Programme) was developed by Shine’s Building Blocks Team headed up by Laura Crowley and designed by Cork based design studio Doodle Creative. The app is totally free to download and […]

  The Shine Centre are delighted to be chosen as the partner charity for the Christmas “Tweet Up Cork” event on the 01st December 2016. The event will take place at the Kingsley Hotel from 6pm to 8pm. All funds raised will go towards supporting the services and programmes for children with autism at the […]

Christmas is a time for giving Hi guys I know it’s still a little bit early to be bringing up the C word but I wanted to tell you about what we are doing for charity this year. For those of you who are new to BabyBoo.ie this is our third Christmas in existence, each […]

SHINE IRELAND LAUNCHES A SECOND SOCIAL SKILLS FOR AUTISM APP IN THEIR AWARD WINNING SERIES Building on the success of the first Social Skills for Autism App launched in 2015, Shine Ireland are launching a second app for children and adolescents on the autistic spectrum on Friday 28th October at the CIT Blackrock Observatory in […]

‘PITCH YOUR PROJECT ‘ The Shine Centre are delighted to be chosen to “pitch our project” at an event organised by The Cork Foundation on the 24th of November. This is a great opportunity for our Centre to take our project to assist children with autism and their families the next level and we are really looking […]

Congratulations to our now ” Double” award winning Kloog Social Skills team who scooped a National Net Visionary Award at the Award Ceremony at the RDS on Friday night. We have a lot of people to acknowledge and to thank for making this project such a success and most importantly for positively impacting the lives […]

  Keep Checking our Website for updates……

We are delighted to announce that Shine Ireland’s Social Skills for Autism app has been nominated in the Irish Internet Association Net Visionary Award in “Best Innovation in Technology for Learning”. Our colleagues at Doodle Creative have been nominated and we hope that the Social Skills App will win it’s second national award. The Awards […]

Shine Ireland in association with Aspect and BNY Mellon are pleased to announce the launch of the “Preparing for the Workplace” programme for students in third level institutions on the ASD Spectrum. The programme is designed to assist these  students  in accessing the employment market after graduation. The programme is a step by step guide to help […]

The Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Des Cahill hosted a reception for staff from the Bon Secours Hospital, The Shine Centre and Doodle Creative at City Hall yesterday. The reception was to mark the presentation of a National CSR Award to the Bon Secours Hospital  for “Excellence in the Community” presented by Chambers Ireland. The Bon […]

  Given the current commentary surrounding the operations of a national autism organisation I feel it is important on behalf of the Board and staff of Shine Ireland that I reassure the many children and families that we work with about the operations of our organisation. Shine does not collaborate with this national organisation on  […]

Out of this world: Cork charity’s autism app reaches 30,000 users By Roisin Kiberd – Sunday Business Post A free app developed in Ireland to help children with autism understand and improve their social interactions has reached more than 30,000 users across Ireland, Britain and the US. The Social Skills for Autism app was developed […]

We have developed a new online resource about Autism and Autism awareness for the Dept of Justice & Equality. The site is designed to inform people about autism and give a practical insight into how autism impacts a person with the condition. The site is available for everyone to use and will be useful for […]

Here is a video presentation we developed for Autism Awareness month. It was developed to highlight the many abilities of people with autism and Asperger Syndrome and to encourage people to see the ability and not the disability…  

Lisa Kerr at the Shine Centre has developed a short presentation on the Autism Friendly Environment, we hope that you find it both informative and interesting: The Autism Friendly Environment

We are very much looking forward to welcoming our 300 guests to the annual Shine Ladies Lunch at the Clarion Hotel on the 11th of June 2016. The event sold out in record time and the event is now firmly established as one of the leading events of it’s kind in the Cork Social Calendar. We […]

Would you like to control your stress? A FREE course to teach you the skills to deal with stress.

  We are pleased to announce the date and venue for the Shine Valentine’s Charity Ball 2016. The Ball will take place at the beautiful Maryborough Hotel & Spa on Saturday 13th of February 2015. This will be the tenth staging of the event and all funds go directly to support the services we provide […]

We running our Snowman Appeal generously supported by Laya Healthcare again this Christmas and we are looking for individuals and businesses to take boxes of our festive Snowman badges. They add a real festive feel to any location and are ideal for retail outlets such as shops, pubs, clubs, reception areas, canteens etc. We would […]

                  Course 1 : Autism Certificate (Cork ETB) Tues 6.30-9.00pm • Duration: 12 weeks This a course for parents of young children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (A.S.D) and those that have recently learned that their child is on the autistic spectrum.  The course content is based on […]

The Preparing for the Workplace programme is designed to assist people with autism to access the workplace once they have completed their studies or training course. The programme will be launched in September and was developed by Shine in association with Aspect (AS Outreach Service in Cork) and is generously funded by BNY Mellon in Cork. The programme was developed over […]

We have a limited number of places available in the Shine Early Learning Unit for 2015/16. The unit has been working with children with autism for over 10 years and offers structured early intervention for children aged from 3 to 5 years of age with a confirmed diagnosis of autism. The child must qualify under […]

Staying on Topic & Staying Involved in Conversations: Remember when a certain topic is being talked about, it is important to stick to making comments or asking questions about that topic. When everyone in a conversation stays on topic, the conversation can move along easily and the other people in the conversation feel that you are […]

Can all of you who received a survey pack from Kieran Kennedy on the Economic Cost of Raising a Child with ASD in Ireland please return them as soon as possible. The deadline to return the surveys has been extended until Friday 26th of June 2015 for counties Cork, Kerry & Waterford. You must return […]

Two hundred and eighty ladies supported children with autism as they attending the annual Shine Ladies Lunch in the Clarion Hotel in Cork on Saturday 06th June. Summer fashion was the order of the day as the ladies looked stunning in a huge array of bright summer colours as they arrived for the event. The […]

A number of parents in the North Cork (Mallow) area are looking for ABA qualified tutors to work with their children. If you are a qualified ABA Tutor with hours available please contact Kieran Kennedy at the Shine Centre on 021 4377052  

            Social Skills for Autism “Mission Rescue Kloog” is now available in the Apple App Store. Search for Social Skills for Autism in the Education section. About the Social Skills for Autism App: The Social Skills for Autism App “Mission Rescue The app is designed for tablets only and aims […]

  The Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Mary Shields launched our new Social Skills App – Mission Rescue Kloog at Cork City Hall on the 08th April 2015. A large crowd of over 150 people attended the launch including Minister Kathleen Lynch TD, members of the business community, service providers and our families, children, supporters […]

by Chris Davies – Doodle Creative  For a while now we’ve been working on an app and what a journey it has been! It has been one of the most unique, challenging and rewarding projects that I’ve had the pleasure of being involved with in my whole career (thats a few years at this stage!). […]

                    Denis Collins the Chairman of the Smarter Senses Project is pleased to announce that Jennifer O’Toole the world renowned author and autism advocate has joined the Advisory Board of the project. Jennifer is the author of the bestselling Asperkids series of books and a much […]

Eoin Motherway (Director Shine Centre) and Harry Canning (Hospital Manager, Bon Secours Hospital Cork)

The Smarter Senses Project is a programme aimed at driving the Shine Centre for Autism in Cork forward to become best in class globally.

Victory in the United States for parents and people with disabilities. Why do we not have the same introduced here in Ireland? The National Parents and Sibling Alliance in Ireland, and a number of parent advocates have long been calling for a special savings scheme to be introduced in Ireland for disabled persons. Very encouraging […]

As the year draws to a close we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support and kindness during the last year. We don’t say it enough but none of this would be possible without our wonderful staff, parents, friends, supporters and colleagues across the autism community. We must thank our […]

The ninth annual Shine Fundraising Ball will take place at the Maryborough Hotel & Spa on Valentines Night , Saturday 14th of February 2015.Why not celebrate Valentines night in the beautiful surroundings of the Maryborough Hotel, enjoy a great night out with entertainment and special guests and support the work of the Shine Centre at […]

Shine Centre Staff key in Developing New Autism Course Kieran Kennedy of The Shine Centre for Autism has played a key role in setting up a new Autism Course for the parents of newly diagnosed children with autism. The course runs for 12 weeks and covers vital areas such as understanding autism, education and entitlements. […]

The Football For All programme gives kids with Special Needs the opportunity to get regular football training and competition. The training they receive is delivered by qualified coaches. As well as regular training, children in Football for All clubs get the chance to play for their local club in regular Blitz’s against other Football for […]

We were so proud of Avlyn McKeown and her triplets, Alex Rian & Kyle who attend the Shine Centre Early Learning Unit and appeared on the front page of the Cork Evening Echo yesterday. Avlyn gave an honest and emotional account of her journey since the triplets were diagnosed with autism and her positivity for […]

A new 8 week course entitled “Living with Asperger’s Syndrome” will begin in UCC on the 26th of January. What is Asperger Syndrome? Is it the same as high functioning autism? What does it mean to be ‘on the spectrum’? This course has been designed to explore these questions, as well as what life is […]

    The Shine Centre Snowman Appeal is up and running with over 8,000 Snowman badges distributed to retail outlets and businesses throughout Cork City.  The colourful badges are priced at €2 each and the funds raised from the appeal go directly to the services and programmes we run for our children and adolescents with […]

  Hi, my name is Jenny and I am a 15 year old student in Mount Mercy Colllege Cork. As part of my transition year programme I have been on ‘Community work’ in the Shine Autism Centre for the past week. Going into Shine I knew very little about Autism and I didn’t know how the children were going […]

OPEN BRIDGE EVENING Charity Event Ballineaspaig GAA Hall, Bishopstown, Cork Sunday Nov 30th @ 7pm sharp Open to all grades For information contact Phil Collins 086 1634935 philcollins344@gmail.com

The Irish Progressive Association for Autism (IPAA) is a Cork based Voluntary Organisation established in September 2001.

The Shine Centre offers a range of Training Courses in Autism

You can support Shine’s work by making a donation

You can help the Shine Centre by supporting one of our Fundraising Events

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