Ms Lorraine Dempsey:

The Special Needs Parents Association exists to support all parents of persons with special needs regardless of their age or diagnosis. Our submission was put together from parents feeding back not just specifically on autism spectrum disorder, ASD, classes but also on other types of special classes. We are providing a platform for those minority voices. Parents' feedback was very consistent with reviews conducted by the National Council for Special Education in 2011 and 2015 on special classes in mainstream schools and students with ASD in schools.

There were several themes in the points parents brought across. One was the designation of special classes. While in the news we typically hear more about special classes for children with autism, there are children with mixed disabilities and specific speech and language impairments who require special classes. We endeavour to provide a platform for their voices. The composition of special classes should be determined in response to the needs of children with special educational needs within particular local communities, taking into account local demographics. In its report, the National Council for Special Education acknowledged that there are advantages to having special classes within mainstream schools. This will provide a continuum of special educational provision. As Mr. Harris outlined, the choice should not be between a mainstream or a special school. The development of special classes provides a halfway house to allow children to move along a continuum.

The need for autism specific special schools has been indicated by some parents. This is moving away from the inclusion model. We found that special schools are oversubscribed, particularly in the Dublin area. In the absence of additional special classes to support children in mainstream schools, this is becoming particularly problematic. Some parents of children with disabilities other than autism feel that while their child progressed in the mainstream primary school, once he or she reached post-primary school age, the environment proved too difficult. Down Syndrome Ireland did a study on this in respect of children who did not transition to mainstream secondary schools but had to transition into special schools. We would like a recommendation that further mixed special classes be considered at post-primary level to provide that continuum of support. These should be geographically spread out in order that children do not have to travel long distances and, in particular, can maintain peer relationships within their community. This is especially problematic if children are travelling on special school transport for between an hour and an hour and a half.

It has been acknowledged that there is a lack of ASD classes in post-primary schools. Inclusion Ireland did a study in 2014 indicating that the number of post-primary ASD classes provided is only a quarter of the number provided at primary level. Parents have been extremely vocal about the lack of provision of post-primary ASD classes, which they look for to maintain their children's placement in education. The Government has moved some way with the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016. When the provisions are enacted, the NCSE will have power to establish a special school class. As Mr. Harris indicated, it is not just about opening up a class but also about having trained teachers and a school that is practising an inclusion framework and is open to having children with special educational needs at that level.

For some time, parents have been very vocal in highlighting the lack of provision in certain geographic areas and particularly at post-primary level. These would have been frequently discussed as black spots around the country. Sometimes a particular principal might not have been very open to having a fully inclusive school while others indicated they did not have the appropriate funding or training and therefore did not want to open up special classes. Others may have had the attitude that it should be either mainstreaming or special school. A continuum of educational options is essential at second level and, where possible, the special class should be viewed as a base to which the post primary-pupil can revert as part of the range of supports to access mainstream education rather than solely remaining in a special class for the duration of their school experience. This can be particularly problematic for school leavers as they may not have the skills related to other employability schemes.

Teacher and special needs assistant training and core professional development have been raised consistently as a deficit in respect of teachers operating within special classes. The NCSE did research which found that 50% of teachers had no additional training in special education. This has an impact not only in special classes but also in mainstream education, where 24% of children with special educational needs are educated.

Teachers working in the units should be trained properly and have knowledge and understanding - not just an acceptance - of pupils with ASD and other special needs. They should certainly want to work in a special class. There has been some commentary that parents have picked up in the past, where teachers have said they do not want to work in those classes. They are the place where the youngest or newest member of staff is thrown, and there are remarks like "God love you". People should want to be working with our children.