Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he accepts the advice of the Special Education Support Service, as presented in their document, Special Education Support Service Information on Autism, which outlines the way his Department should provide ongoing supervised training from professionally qualified behaviour analysts to teachers working with children; and if his Department does not provide this type of supervision, the reason guidelines issued by the SESS are being ignored. [15793/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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As the Deputy is aware, my Department provides for a comprehensive system of continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers in the area of special educational needs including teachers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Central to this is the Special Education Support Service (SESS).

The document referred to by the Deputy relates to information compiled in 2004 by SESS at a time when teachers and schools were seeking information and greater clarity around Autism. The reference to supervised training was included in a section of the document which sought to explain Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) as one of two main approaches at that time.

My Department has satisfied itself that research does not support the exclusive usage of any one approach as a basis for national educational provision for children with autism. It is for this reason that the preferred policy is for a child centred approach based on the individual child's needs. This approach is supported by ongoing monitoring of educational objectives to determine whether a child is benefiting from a particular intervention or range of interventions and to allow for appropriate adjustment to objectives and strategies.

Reflective of the important role of CPD, my Department, through SESS, has put in place a training programme for teachers in autism-specific interventions including Treatment and Education of Autistic Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) and Picture Exchange Communications System (PECS).

CPD in relation to Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), within the learning and teaching context is provided by SESS as follows: (a) Contemporary Applied Behaviour Analysis (C-ABA) Course - this course provides an introduction to ABA for practising teachers in special education settings in Irish schools. The course teaches teachers the skills to 'design, implement and evaluate' interventions to change the behaviour of students in their care. Teachers attending this course are invited to avail of follow-up in school mentoring to enable them to apply the skills learned on the course. Delivery of the course and subsequent follow up is supervised by an appropriately qualified person; (b) Post-Graduate Diploma in Applied Behaviour Analysis - three fully-funded places per annum are made available to teachers to pursue this Diploma in Trinity College, Dublin; (c) Applied Behaviour Analysis (on-line) Course - this is a 20-hour Applied Behaviour Analysis on-line course. It is available with full or partial funding; (d) Visits from SESS Advisors (Behaviour) Team - the team provides for school visits and telephone support for teachers in-school support and mentoring, following attendance at the C-ABA course.