Written answers

Thursday, 5 November 2015

Department of Education and Skills

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Photo of Michael McGrathMichael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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208. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the second level schools; and the number of qualifying students each school can accommodate in special autistic spectrum disorder classes, by school, in Cork city and County Cork, in tabular form; if she is satisfied that this is sufficient to meet the demand for such places; her plans to expand the number of such places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38897/15]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs, including children with autism should be included, where possible and appropriate, in mainstream placements with additional supports provided. In circumstances where children with special educational need require more specialised interventions, special school or special class places are also available.

Parents can choose to enrol children with autism in an early intervention class from the age of three and where such a placement is not available home tuition may be approved. Children with autism over the age of four may also be eligible for home tuition if a school placement is not available for them.

The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports, including the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas as required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.

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. All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents are encouraged to liaise with the local SENO to discuss placement options for their child.

The NCSE will continue to monitor and review the requirement for special class places in particular areas and has capacity to establish such new special classes, where necessary, subject to the willingness of schools to open classes.

The NCSE has advised that there are currently 34 autism classes at post primary level in cork City and County. Each special class for autism at post-primary level has a 6:1.5 pupil teacher ratio.

I will arrange for the NCSE to forward a list of post-primary autism classes to the Deputy in relation to the County referred to.

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