Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 450: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the level of support available from his Department for a child (details supplied) in County Cork who has recently been diagnosed as autistic; if this level of service provision is equivalent to the needs identified in the child's assessment; his views on the child's access to occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and home support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21401/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is 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.

My Department has put in place a training programme for teachers in autism-specific interventions including TEACCH, PECS and ABA through the Special Education Support Service (SESS). The SESS facilitates a partnership approach involving support teams of practising teachers, Education Centres, the Inspectorate, the National Educational Psychological Service, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, the National Council for Special Education, Third Level Colleges, Health Board Personnel, Teacher Unions and other relevant bodies and services.

Parents of children with autism now have three distinct choices available to them depending on the needs of the child; their child can either attend a mainstream class in their local school with additional supports as required, they can attend a special class in a mainstream school or they can attend a special school. While some children with autism can thrive in a mainstream class, special classes in both mainstream and special schools have been specifically designed to meet the needs of those who require more intensive support.

I am satisfied with the current policy of providing schools who have special classes for children with autism with qualified teachers, low pupil teacher ratios, a minimum of 2 special needs assistants per class, access to professional development as well as training courses in autism specific interventions, enhanced capitation and grants for specialist equipment and furniture, if required, together with special school transport arrangements.

Educational provision in schools will be generally augmented by my intention to continue the recruitment of additional NEPS psychologists. The Deputy will be also be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to special and mainstream schools to support children with autism. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. 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.

The home tuition scheme provides a grant to parents to facilitate the provision of education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting an educational placement and to provide early intervention for pre-school children with autism. I understand that an application for home tuition for the child in question is currently under consideration within my Department.

The provision of therapy supports is a matter for the Health Service Executive and the family may wish to contact the HSE directly in this regard.