Written answers
Tuesday, 13 February 2024
Department of Education and Skills
National Educational Psychological Service
Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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262. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a NEPS assessment will be made available to a person (details supplied). [6050/24]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Under the model for allocating additional teaching resources to support children and young people, with special educational needs, in our schools, the Department provides supports directly to schools, allowing schools greater autonomy in the flexible allocation of teaching resources, based on the needs of children and young people. Schools can respond to individual needs in a flexible way, and children do not have to have a psychological assessment, or a diagnosis of a disability, in order to access Special Education Teaching support. This means that those with the highest level of need can access the highest level of support, within the school, in a timely manner.
My Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary and special schools.
The NEPS service provides access for all schools to:
- Psychological support in the event of a Critical Incident
- A Casework Service for individual children where there is a need for intensive consultation and assessment via a NEPS psychologist or through the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA).
- A school staff Support and Development Service, to build school capability to provide a comprehensive continuum of support in schools and
- Ongoing access to advice and support for schools.
Where a parent/guardian has a concern about their child’s progress in school, they should request a meeting with the Principal to discuss the child's needs and the supports the school have put in place, and if appropriate to consider a consultation with a NEPS psychologist.
In relation to the pupil to which the Deputy refers, no request for the involvement of a NEPS psychologist has been received from the school which this pupil attends.
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