Ms Áine Lynch:

In respect of SNAs not being included in the IEP meetings, parents are sometimes not included either. They should be there too.

To respond to Deputy Jim Daly’s question about post-primary, we represent parents of primary-level children, but it affects children at the higher end of primary school too. As they get older, their voice in SNA allocation in their time in the school and how their IEP should look needs to become more important. The young person’s voice is very important in deciding how SNA involvement works in order to manage the stigmatisation for older children.

This kind of conversation about the role of the SNA is very important, but it is also very important for us to suggest the conversation needs to move to the higher level of how we provide supports to children with special educational needs in school more generally. People do not understand the role of the SNA. Although a great deal of resources go into special education, as long as the system is constructed around the resource teacher, the teacher and the SNA, children still cannot access the resources they need in the sector to get their education. That discussion needs to be broadened. Speech and language, behavioural and occupational therapies need to be available to the school to support the child’s access to education, rather than being separate as they are now.