Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 241: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the amount it would cost her Department to provide 30 hours applied behavioural analysis for a child in a school (details supplied) for one year. [13169/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware of my commitment to ensuring that all children, icluding those with autism, receive an education appropriate to their needs, preferably through the primary and post primary school network.

My Department's preferred approach to the provision of appropriate education for children with autism, is through the primary and post primary school network, whether through placement in mainstream classes, in special classes or in special schools, a view that is supported by the findings of the Task Force Report on Autism. My Department supports a multi-skills approach in regard to the education of children with autism where a range of teaching methods are available e.g. Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH), ABA (Applied Behavioural Analysis), Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS).

In this regard my Department has established:

186 special classes for children with autism, attached to special and mainstream schools;

5 special classes for children with Asperger's Syndrome;

18 pre-school classes to facilitate the demand for early intervention provision for children on the autistic spectrum;

14 Stand alone facilities providing an Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) specific methodologies on a pilot basis — 2 of these facilities have yet to be established.

Estimated costs associated with the provision of applied behavioural analysis would be subject to the particular circumstances involved. However, the critical determinant of the preferred approach outlined above is its capacity to meet the needs of all the children attending the school rather than cost.