Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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182. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students from this State attending the autism unit in Middletown, County Armagh; the level of services provided at that unit at present; the proposals there are to expand the range of services and increase the number of students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28361/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Middletown Centre for Autism project is a jointly funded initiative between the Department of Education in Northern Ireland (DE) and the Department of Education and Skills (DES) aimed at supporting the promotion of excellence in the development and harmonisation of education and allied services to children and young people with autistic spectrum disorders.

The Centre provides a comprehensive nationwide training service for parents and educational professionals. Parents can view the range of courses which the Centre has available through the website www.middletownautism.com.

The centre is a second tier service to complement existing provision for children with autism and it provides continuing professional development for schools and teachers and training courses for parents. It also has a research division.

At the request of this Department and as approved by the North South Ministerial Council, the Middletown Centre for Autism (MCA) commenced provision, on a limited pilot basis in the south, of an intensive educational assessment and learning support service to children on an outreach basis (MCA Pilot).

Where children with an ASD experience significant difficulties, the first course of action is engagement with first level services provided by the Department of Education and Skills (National Educational Psychological Service, Special Education Support Service, National Behavioural Support Service, National Council for Special Education) and Health Services Executive (HSE)/ HSE funded services.

The nominations and referral process is initiated at school level following a multi-disciplinary school based review involving NEPS, the local SENO and other relevant professionals.

Nominations to the MCA Referral Committee are considered for children where such a review concludes that despite comprehensive interventions and engagement with first-tier services, the child continues to present with significant and enduring behavioural and emotional difficulties. The Centre has provided this service to 24 children and young people to date.

If a parent feels that a child is currently experiencing continuing difficulties they should request through their school a multi-disciplinary school based review involving NEPS, the local SENO and other relevant professionals.

In addition to the learning support and assessment service the centre also provides a training and a research and information service and in 2016-17 will provide 6325 training places for educational professionals and 6500 training places for parents (and siblings) in Ireland. The research service will provide supportive resources for educational professionals and parents.

A joint evaluation of Middletown was undertaken in April 2016 and published on 30 August 2016. The report highlights that the service provided by the Centre in the Republic of Ireland has resulted in significant benefits for pupils, families and schools. Key strengths of the Centre’s involvement relate to the trans-disciplinary nature of the service, and the extent and duration of the Centre’s involvement with pupils’ homes and schools simultaneously.