Mr. Tiernan O'Neill:

The Deputy's observations are interesting. She mentioned how the autism class is over there at that side of the school, but we hear so much about the autism unit. People still talk about autism units saying, "They are over there in the unit." It is a classroom. These children are part of the schools. Language is really important. Coming back to the Deputy's question about how it woven into the day, Mr. Cronin made an important point about the home school liaison scheme. Mr. Cronin and I were both home school liaison co-ordinators. That is the most important job in the school. You are the connection between the home and school and the bridge between home life and school life.

I will provide a concrete example of how home school liaison can be woven into that therapeutic tapestry during the school day. We are lucky with the HAPPEE initiative that I mentioned earlier where we have the support of St. Gabriel's children's disability network team with OTs and SLTs coming in and supervising the trainee SLTs and OTs coming from the school of allied health in the University of Limerick. For example, we might bring a parent in to sit down with the SLT or OT go through a home-based programme, but the home school liaison will also sit in on the meeting. The home school liaison can then support the parents by ensuring the implementation of the home-based programme, including whatever exercises and routines that are required. It is something very simple, but rather than going into a clinical setting where a parent may not turn up because they may be overwhelmed, or they may not ask the necessary questions because they are overwhelmed. They have their advocate and their support who is part of the school staff and is somebody who they have a relationship with and it works well.

On the in-school therapeutic work, there is the universal provision where some of the SLTs and OTs go in and do whole class programmes with the teacher present, so not alone are the children benefiting, but the teacher is also benefiting. It is building teacher capacity. There is the individual work being done as well under the supervision of trained SLTs and physiotherapists working with children on an individual basis and liaising. The St. Gabriel's staff are part of the local CDNT. It is almost like a virtual circle. They are liaising with their colleagues with regards to children with additional needs. They are linking in with primary care. They are liaising with the teachers and building capacity the whole time within the schools. There is a massive legacy left behind in terms of the work that is being done. Ultimately, what is most important is that the children are benefiting hugely from it as well.