Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue on World Autism Day as it gives me an opportunity to outline the progress and current position regarding the education of children with autism. Having a debate on this can be discussed with the Whips.

World Autism Day provides an opportunity to raise of awareness of autism and to consider the challenges faced by children with autism and their families. The Government's commitment is to ensure all children with special educational needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post-primary school network.

The Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools which have enrolled pupils with autism to ensure wherever a child is enrolled, they will have access to an appropriate education. Children with autism can enrol in an early intervention class from the age of three and, if they are assessed younger, home tuition can be provided from the age of two and a half. Children with autism may be enrolled in a mainstream school and can attend all mainstream classes. In such cases, these children will receive additional teaching support through the learning support and-or the resource teacher and where appropriate will receive access to special needs assistance and assistive technology if required.

In respect of children with autism who cannot be accommodated in mainstream education, they may be enrolled in special classes or special schools where more intensive and supportive interventions are provided. This will normally include a pupil teacher ratio of 6: 1 and special needs assistant support normally amounting to two special needs assistants, SNAs, for a class of six children. Progress in developing this network has been significant and in addition to the special school placements there are now approximately 625 special classes nationwide in mainstream schools, 95 of which are early intervention settings, 378 in primary schools and 152 at post-primary level. Other units will open in September.

The NCSE is at an advanced stage in the preparation of policy advice on the education of children with autism.

I expect that the NCSE final report, which is due to be delivered in the coming months, will reflect the broadest possible range of views, both national and international, and will provide recommendations which will assist the development of policy for future years.

This Government is committed to developing a programme of actions specific to the needs of those with autism for incorporation in the national disability strategy implementation plan. Last year, the National Disability Authority undertook a consultation exercise to find out how the implementation of the national disability strategy implementation plan can most effectively address the needs of people with autism. The National Disability Authority has been tasked to work bilaterally with each Department to develop time-bound actions to address the needs of people with autism for incorporation in the national disability strategy implementation plan. Officials in my Department are fully engaged with the National Disability Authority in the development of these actions.

I know the Deputy was looking for specific information about the number, which I do not have today so I will come back to him that. The Deputy also raised the issue of the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, which I will clarify with her in respect of an ASD expert for the National Disability Authority implementation group, so I will have to come back to Deputy Stanton about that as well. I know there is strong demand for special schools. We are constantly updating our data relating to children who need supports. Additional special units will come on stream this year. I held a meeting yesterday with some principals of special schools, although they were not specifically schools for autism. I know there is a lot of pressure on the special school in my constituency and I am aware this is the case in other parts of the country. We need to continue to identify the needs as early as possible to ensure we have appropriate provision. Early intervention is important and there is provision for that. There is evidence that the numbers with autism is increasing and is quite high.

See this speech in context