Dáil debates

Tuesday, 3 October 2006

 

Special Educational Needs.

8:00 pm

Photo of Seán PowerSeán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to clarify the position of the Department of Education and Science in respect of the educational provision for pupils with autistic spectrum disorders. The Department has not received any application to expand the pilot scheme to a centre in County Mayo, but as he is aware, the Department is committed to ensuring that all children, including those with ASDs, receive an education appropriate to their needs. In this regard, the Department has established 170 special classes for children with autism attached to special and mainstream schools, six of which are in the Mayo area, five special classes for children with Asperger's syndrome, 16 pre-school classes to facilitate the demand for early intervention provision for children in the autistic spectrum and 12 stand-alone facilities providing an applied behavioural analysis-specific methodology on a pilot basis. Approval has been given for the establishment of a further two such facilities. Saplings Centre in County Kildare is funded under the scheme.

The Department is of the opinion that children with autism, in common with all children, should have access to appropriate provision delivered by suitably qualified teachers within the school system where they can mix with their wider peer groups and have maximum opportunities for integration. Pupils with autism who are fully integrated into mainstream schools receive individual teaching support for a number of hours per week as well as support from special needs assistants and special equipment, if required. Pupils attending these classes benefit from having a wider range of autistic spectrum disorder teaching methodologies open to them, fully qualified national school teachers, a school structure and the option of integration into mainstream classes immediately available depending on each child's ability and progress.

Schools have the support of the special education support service, which is committed to providing continual training as appropriate. Staffing supports for autistic children in special classes in ordinary and special schools have a maximum pupil-teacher ratio of six pupils to every teacher. A minimum of two special needs assistants are provided per class with the possibility of additional special needs assistant posts being made available up to a 1:1 basis where required.

The newly established National Council for Special Education and its team of more than 70 special educational needs organisers is working throughout the country to ensure that the new services are put in place where needed so that children with special needs, including those in the autistic spectrum, have access to appropriate school-based provision. I assure the Deputy that the Department will examine any proposal submitted to expand the pilot scheme to a centre in County Mayo and I thank him for raising this matter.

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