Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

In the event that I use up all the time, the Minister of State, Deputy Devins, will contribute tomorrow night.

I would like to turn now to the issue of the use of the applied behavioural analysis intervention in the education of children with autism. As Deputies will be aware, autism is a spectrum disorder and children with autism can have widely varying needs and abilities. The Government believes that as each child with autism is unique, he or she should have access to a range of different teaching approaches to meet his or her individual needs. Applied behavioural analysis, ABA, is one of the interventions used in the education of children with autism both in special classes in mainstream schools and in special schools. However, while behavioural interventions are significant, other methods such as TEACCH and PECS are just as important in developing children's communication and speech skills. It is important that children have access to a range of methods so that their broader needs can be met.

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