Christy O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 229: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the options that are available to a person (details supplied) whose child has been referred to the national educational psychological service and has been informed that only one referral can take place in a school year and in view of the fact that this has already been allocated it will be at least September 2010 before this child will be assessed. [46345/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I can inform the Deputy that all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) which is administered by NEPS.

NEPS in common with other psychological services encourages a staged assessment process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention, in consultation with their assigned NEPS psychologist. Only if there is a failure to make reasonable progress in spite of the school's best efforts, will a child be referred for individual psychological assessment. This system allows the psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually.

The introduction of the General Allocation model for primary schools in 2005/06 means that children with high incidence special needs can get access to extra support without having to undergo an individual assessment. Children who manifest very special or urgent needs in school and who have not been previously assessed by a psychologist and are brought to the attention of a NEPS psychologist by the Principal teacher will usually be assessed by the psychologist within that school term. Normally, principals of schools prioritise those children in need of psychological assessment in consultation with the assigned psychologist. Should school authorities have specific difficulties with regard any of the foregoing I would suggest that they contact the relevant local NEPS Regional Director (in this instance NEPS Southern Regional Office, Tel: 021- 4536358) to discuss the matter.