Welcome to Sparkability CLG!
About Sparkability
Sparkability began as a research project in 2014, aimed at creating Autism-Friendly social outlets for Autistic children. Over the years, it has grown significantly through the support and word of mouth within the local community in Kildare, Ireland. What started with a small group of five children has expanded to support hundreds of families. In response to this growing demand, we officially established Sparkability CLG as a social enterprise in February 2020. Although we faced the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, we have successfully launched two Saturday Club locations and out-of-school term camps, welcoming 91 Autistic children to date. We currently have the capacity to support 32 children across both locations, along with a waiting list of eager participants. Our group enjoys a stable membership, with many children choosing to remain with us once registered.
Our Group Leaders and Play Partners are passionately dedicated to social inclusion and come from diverse professional backgrounds, including special needs assistants, early years specialists, and autism specialist facilitators—many of whom identify as neurodivergent. Each team member is Garda vetted and participates in a thorough onboarding training program at the start of each school year or when joining our team. We take pride in the fact that many student teachers, special needs assistants, social care workers, and early years professionals have begun their careers with us and have moved on to exciting new opportunities, while others choose to stay due to the enriching experiences they’ve had here.
As we currently do not receive government funding, we rely on the generosity of donations from fundraising initiatives and one-off grants, as well as termly contributions from parents and families. We are deeply grateful for the support we have received from the Bridge Forward programme with AsIAm—Ireland’s Autism Charity, Community Foundation Ireland, and the Toy Show Appeal in 2021-22. Additionally, we host an annual Autism-Friendly Santa Experience for our group participants, which has been warmly received by parents and guardians, leading to frequent requests for additional groups.
Zarah Doyle
Sparkability founder
Our Mission
At SparkAbility, our mission is to create an inclusive and empowering environment where every child can thrive socially, emotionally, and creatively. We believe in recognising and celebrating the unique strengths and abilities of each individual, fostering connections and friendships through engaging activities and supportive interactions.Our dedicated team is committed to providing tailored experiences that promote confidence, resilience, and personal growth, ensuring that all children feel valued and capable of reaching their full potential. Together, we spark the joy of learning and connection, building a brighter future for everyone.
We are deeply committed to enhancing our existing services, creating a supportive social environment for families with neurodivergent youth.
- Weekly gatherings fostering friendship
- Autism-Friendly play circles
- Inclusive family celebrations
- Mentorship opportunities for Club Leaders and Play Partners
- Work experience placements for newly trained SNA/SEN educators
- Our goal is to inspire others and develop more Clubs throughout the country
We are eager to broaden our offerings, both in scope and variety of programs. Our vision includes establishing a dedicated space for managing administrative tasks, conducting training sessions, hosting community events, and providing various classes. Additionally, we aim to expand our team to strengthen the support for these essential Clubs.
Testimonials
“This group is completely life changing and a small piece of normality in his life where he faces such significant difficulties.
Before we found Sparkability I never dreamt that anything like this would be possible for Dillon and I am so grateful that we found this group.”
“Sparkability has allowed my son to grow, develop and learn in an environment, and with people, that understand and adapt to his needs. It allows him to be him. Having Sparkability in our lives means we as a family are connected to the autism community.”
“My son attends Sparkability every Saturday, he runs in without looking back. The staff are amazing with him and they really understand his needs.
I know he is safe there and he comes out smiling and happy.”
Our Team
This passionate team are all qualified in the areas of education, early intervention, Autistic education, special needs assisting, leadership and social care as well as having extensive life experience with Autistic children and young people. We have multiple unique perspectives that enable us to provide appropriate support to the community.
Joining the Team
We believe in giving our team the best possible chance in training to work with children with additional needs. We regularly take Special Needs Assistants in training to gain valuable placement time within our programme. Some end up staying on with us as they enjoyed their time so much! There is also potential for you to become a group leader and run your own social group. All subject to garda vetting and induction procedures.