Mary O'Rourke (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 478: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the whole spectrum of autism provision now available throughout the entire range of educational services; if she will respond to a request (details supplied). [26634/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South 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. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range of appropriate educational interventions, 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 Treatment and Education of Autistic Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH), Picture Exchange Communications System (PECS) and Applied Behaviour Analysis (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.

The Deputy will also be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENO) for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support students with autism. The SENO will also consider applications from schools to establish special classes for students with autism. 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 establishment of a network of autism-specific special classes in schools across the country to cater for children with autism has been a key educational priority in recent years. In excess of 390 classes have now been approved around the country, including over 40 at post-primary level. The NCSE will continue to sanction further classes where the need is identified.