Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

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Classes for children with autism have increased from 150 in September 2004 to 277, 100 of which were established in the past year. Significant advances have been made to support children and their families.

I mentioned at the outset that the only option for children with the complex or more severe special needs ten years ago was the special school, whereas now there are three options available. For the child who is able to integrate and be in the mainstream classroom, that is an option, particularly with the extra supports available to them. There is the option of a special class attached to a mainstream school, which is becoming a more frequent option throughout the country, and there is also the special school. Children and their needs change as they get older and more mature. The aim has been to establish a continuum of education in order that children can move from one setting to another according to their changing needs.

Equally, in all of this talk about the changes that have come about in our mainstream schools, it is particularly important that I should acknowledge and recognise the valuable and continuing role of the special schools, which are becoming centres of excellence. I see great potential for them to be centres of excellence and to offer outreach supports to other schools in their areas.

We are also committed to developing a new procedure for dual enrolment in order that the children can attend both a special school and a mainstream school, as appropriate. Therefore, there always will be a strong role for the special schools and children will be able to get both supports.

Many parents prefer integration. They prefer their child to go to the local school along with his or her siblings and that he or she would be able to mix and play with other children from their local area, and many of these children need intensive support. It is the wish of the majority of parents, and the guiding ethos of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, that educating children in the least restrictive environment is the norm in developed societies in recent years. From talking to parents I know they value not only the quality of education but also the socialisation that brings with it. Only last week, the parent of a child in one of our special units for children with autism with whom I spoke stated how the attitude of her local community has changed towards her child because they now see her child as just being another who is able to go to the local school and able to play. It had a wider impact which was encouraging to hear.

I mentioned at the outset that not only have all of these services — extra teachers, extra supports and so on — been put in place, but there is also the legislative support and the legislative background. In aiming to make our service one of the best in the world, the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 was introduced. That Act includes an entitlement to an educational assessment for children with special needs. It also includes an entitlement to an individual education plan, recognising that every child is different and every child has a range of needs. It provides for parents to be consulted and informed at different stages of the process and they will also have recourse to an independent appeals board. Given the sheer scale of the improvements provided for under the Act which will lead to a significant transformation of educational services in a short period of time, the legislation specifically provides for a phasing-in period over five years. Obviously, it involves training, resources, supporting the schools and the children, and at the beginning we set out clearly that it was vital to have the supports in place to assist the schools before they become subject to new responsibilities under the Act. We are on target to have that Act, as was set out in the legislation, fully in place by October 2010 and are working towards that.

I mentioned the work that we have been doing in that regard. In addition, we have also issued advice to schools on how to devise and implement an individual education plan. Second level schools have received specific advice on how to meet the challenges associated with including children with special needs at second level, and that certainly is a challenge and something we constantly aim to improve.

A cross-sectoral team has been established bringing together the Department of Health and Children and my Department. We recognise that one must provide cross support for children with special needs between the two Departments, and with the HSE and the National Council for Special Education, to ensure there can be co-ordinated delivery of Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005 and the relevant sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act. A sign of the commitment of Government to ensure that we get this co-ordination was the appointment of the Minister of State, Deputy Devins, between the two Departments to ensure that the interests of the children will be better served by it.

The members of the independent special education appeals board were appointed in April 2007. At present, they are working to ensure that the structures and processes will be put in place and ready for when the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act comes into effect. We are working ahead of ourselves on that. The important work is being undertaken so that when the Act comes into effect the entitlement to recourse to an independent appeals board can be met.

We expect that many of the appeals will be on the individual education plans, IEPs, to which children will be entitled. Obviously, it is important that the schools are given an opportunity to prepare for the introduction of the IEPs and that people are trained properly in that regard. It is in train but rather than merely implementing the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act without having the back-up support, training and processes put in place, we are doing it in a sensible and planned way to ensure it works efficiently. In the meanwhile parents can appeal allocations and supports through the National Council for Special Education.

The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act is important. It will be fully in place, as set out in the timelines in the legislation, by October 2010, but it is important that we get it right.

Of course there are a number of children throughout the country who have different special needs. For example, we do much work with the Down's syndrome association and, as I mentioned already, younger people with dyslexia. Of course, I have frequently met many parents of children with autism. These are parents who are extremely committed, as are all parents who have children with special needs. They make many sacrifices for their children. It takes much time and a great deal of energy, and they do everything they can to ensure the development of their children and to ensure they get every opportunity in life. I know from parents of children who have autism that it is particularly difficult when that child is physically and emotionally distant from them. It is a considerable challenge, for families and for all of us, to ensure such children get the best opportunity in life. It is an area to which we have given major priority as well.

Autism was specifically recognised as a special educational need only in the past ten years or so. Since 1998 the Department has been trying to work along this continuum of being able to support children. It is not easy because of the historical lack of service. As I mentioned at the outset, we are all the time playing catch-up but considerable progress has been made in this regard.

In trying to prioritise early intervention, we put in place a system of home tuition for pre-school children. Senators will be aware that children up to the age of three are entitled to ten hours of home tuition a week and up to school age this entitlement rises to 20 hours a week. In addition, 23 autism-specific special pre-school classes have been set up around the country. Again, this is something we wish to expand as we have seen its value in responding to the need that exists.

The major increases to which I have referred, in provisions of special education teachers and assistants for our schools, have enabled 2,100 children with autism to be integrated into mainstream classes in their local schools. These are children on the autistic spectrum who are receiving the benefit of integration in addition to specialised education and care. Places have been created for nearly 1,000 further children in the autism-specific classes I mentioned. Senators will know that for the 500 children in special classes in special schools, six children are catered for by one teacher, two special needs assistants and more assistants if an individual children requires it. There is one unit where there are five children, five special needs assistants and one teacher, a total of six adults present for the five children. The particular need of the individual child is identified and one to one support is available if the child needs it. In addition, there are 244 children attending the centres currently being funded under the ABA pilot programme.

The emphasis always is on the children, trying to ensure that their needs are met, given that autism is a complex area and that every child has a range of needs, including children with autism. In setting up these classes throughout the country, 100 of which have been set up in the last year, the Department will also arrange to pay transport to get the child to the nearest one if there is not one immediately local to an individual family. If a family cannot get a placement home tuition is available to them. The number of children availing of this service is now very small because we are expanding the service throughout the country to meet needs.

Children in these special classes have the benefit of fully qualified teachers who are trained in educating and developing children and who understand the pedagogy involved. They also have access to additional training in autism-specific approaches. A range of different approaches is used. These include PEX, Picture Exchange Communication system, ABA, Applied Behaviour Analysis and TEACH, Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication-Handicapped Children. Training is available for teachers in all these approaches. The teachers are also qualified in child development, which is important.

I would love if there was a consensus among the autism community that one method of educating autistic children was superior to all others, one which would give these children the best chance in life. There is no such consensus. I wish there was an agreement that one intervention could meet all needs of these children. There is no such agreement, not merely regarding their behaviour, but also in developing their speech and communication skills and in helping them to become independent.