Ms Claire Mortell:

In terms of the allocation, it definitely needs to be based on the needs of children within that school. What is critical is both the training aspect and that individualised therapy happening within a child's everyday environment. For example, there are children who are using alternative or augmentative communication, AC, systems, be it Lámh signing, the use of visual aids or their own specific AC device. It would be having therapists in the class supporting the teacher with that. It would be very naïve to think that if we are really serious about inclusive education and all children are attending their community school, one teacher at the top of the room will be able to facilitate and support the needs of all pupils. It will take a team that includes SNAs and therapists, ranging from psychologists and speech and language therapists to OTs to support regulation. It is a collaborative approach with everybody working together looking at individual need. There is also scope, as Deputy Keogh was saying, in that children in mainstream schools have such good acceptance now of children with additional needs. They are sometimes better teachers for us than anybody else. It is really important that we are using whole-school approaches, such as Lámh within a classroom. It does not necessarily have to be directed at the child with additional needs. It is the same with the use of visual supports. They will benefit all learners, not necessarily just the child who is identified as needing to use visual supports. It is about looking at really reforming the classroom to be inclusive. We cannot just expect that having a child in a class will be meaningful inclusion. It takes having a support team around them.