Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 212: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason within the BED teacher training programme there is no specific autism training available to trainee teachers; her views on whether this is essential; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15429/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The existing pre-service teacher training programmes in the Colleges of Education (primary teacher training) include specific elements aimed at enabling all student teachers to recognise and deal with children with special educational needs, including pupils with Autism.

My Department holds ongoing discussions with the Colleges of Education to ensure that appropriate responses are made at pre-service level in relation to the continuing needs of all trainee teachers to acquire knowledge of, and familiarity with, the needs of pupils with special educational needs, including Autism.

I would like to point out that my Department has developed a strategy to meet the continuing professional development of teachers working with pupils with special educational needs. This strategy has resulted in a major expansion in the range of post-graduate professional development programmes for teachers. These programmes, which are available annually, include the "Masters in Special Educational Needs (MSEN)", "Combined Post-Graduate Diploma Programme of Continuous Professional Development for Teachers involved in Learning Support and Special Education" and the "Graduate Certificate Course in the Education of Pupils with Autism". It is a central feature of all these courses that teachers are given the necessary skills and expertise to recognise Autism as well as providing the training to meet the needs of students with autism and special educational needs in general.

Ongoing support in the area of Special Educational Needs is provided by the Special Education Support Service (SESS). The SESS was established as part of the Department's overall strategy on continuing professional development of teachers working with pupils with special educational needs, and it undertakes a number of approaches to address the training needs with a view to enhancing the teaching and learning for children with special educational needs. The SESS provides a dedicated support team of expert teachers delivering a range of supports to schools through seminar delivery and individual school visits. In 2006, over 4,000 training places were funded by the SESS to enable teachers to access a range of autism training. The recognition of Autistic Spectrum Disorders forms an integral part of all supports provided by the SESS. This support and training in the recognition of Autism informs training across the educational spectrum, both in mainstream and special schools.