Written answers

Wednesday, 4 June 2008

Department of Education and Science

Special Educational Needs

10:00 pm

Photo of Billy TimminsBilly Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 323: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the situation with regard to a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21987/08]

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The National Council for Special Education is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special needs. All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.

As the Deputy may be aware, SNA support in schools is intended to address the care needs of pupils with special educational needs. The criteria for the provision of SNA support envisages that such support is sanctioned where a child has a significant medical need, a significant impairment of physical or sensory function or where the child is a danger to themselves or other pupils. It would be expected that very often this level of care should diminish as the child matures and consequently the level of SNA support required in the school will diminish also.

There is no automatic system of transfer of SNA support from one school to another. The Board of Management of the school is the SNA's employer and the employment contract is a matter between the individual Board of Management and SNA.

Where a child with SNA support moves school or moves on to post-primary, and no other child with special needs enrols in the school, then the resource — resource teaching hours and/or special needs assistant support — is withdrawn from the first school and, if still warranted by the child's needs, is sanctioned for the new school. In considering applications for SNAs, the SENOs take account of the needs identified in the professional report and decide whether the circumstances come within the Department's criteria. They then consider the resources available to the school to identify whether additionality is needed or whether the school might reasonably be expected to meet the needs of the pupil from its current level of resources. A child needing occasional assistance with toileting may, for example, only require a limited amount of an SNA's time which may be available within the school.

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 324: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools in County Kildare offering teaching to children with autism; the extent to which the full potential of such facilities are being achieved or are achievable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21996/08]

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware of the Government's commitment to ensuring that 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. This facilitates access to individualised education programmes, fully qualified professional teachers, special needs assistants and the appropriate school curriculum.

The establishment of a network of autism-specific special classes in schools across the country to cater children with autism has been a key educational priority in recent years. In excess of 315 classes have now been approved around the country at primary and post primary level, including many in special schools. 27 of these classes are in Co. Kildare; 25 of these classes are now open with the remaining two due to open in September 2008. Of the 25 classes already open, 16 are in mainstream primary schools, 5 are in special schools, 3 are in second-level schools and one is a pre-school class based in a primary school. Of the two classes to open next September, one will be in a mainstream primary school and the other will be in a second-level school.

Children in these classes benefit from having fully-qualified teachers who have access to training in a range of autism-specific interventions, including Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA), the Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) and the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). These students have the option, where appropriate, of full/partial integration and interaction with other pupils. Funding is also provided for assistive technology and specialist equipment as required and special school transport arrangements may also be put in place.

The Deputy may be aware that in order to support teachers my Department has put in place a training programme for teachers in specific interventions associated with autism including TEACCH, PECS and ABA through the Special Education Support Service. A recent initiative has been the expansion of this service to enable it to recruit a behavioural specialist support team.

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