Written answers

Tuesday, 10 March 2015

Department of Education and Skills

Autism Support Services

Photo of Anthony LawlorAnthony Lawlor (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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470. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps her Department is taking to address the significant shortage of post-primary school places for children with autism in north west Kildare for September 2015; her views that transporting children upward of 50 km for suitable post-primary school places is unacceptable for children on the autism spectrum; the plans in place to adequately provide for the significant number of children who will progress from primary school autism units in north-west Kildare to post-primary level beyond September 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10110/15]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Deputy will be aware that this Government is committed 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, delivered by fully qualified professional teachers, with the support of special needs assistants and the appropriate school curriculum.

Young people with autism transitioning from primary school placements have a number of alternative options including mainstream placement in post primary school with support, placement in a special class in a mainstream school or placement in a special class in a special school.

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 (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support students with Special Educational Needs, including Autism. It is also the role of the NCSE to make appropriate arrangements to establish special classes in schools in various geographical areas as required.

SENOs engage with schools annually in order to plan for, and to open, new special classes each year in order to ensure there are sufficient special class placements available at primary and post primary school level to meet demand in a given area.

For young people with autism who continue to require special provision in a post-primary school there are special classes established across the area referred to by the Deputy. There is also special provision in bordering areas.

The NCSE has advised that special classes are established where possible to avoid long commutes for children and to try to keep children within their community. However, not all schools are in a position to establish such provision at a particular point in time. SENOs, on behalf of the NCSE, are actively engaging with schools to establish additional provision where needed. This includes classes at post primary level for pupils with autism based on current and predicted demand.

The NCSE is currently considering applications by schools to establish new special classes for the coming 2015/16 school year. The NCSE has advised that there are additional classes planned to commence in September 2015 in the area referred to by the Deputy.

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