Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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101. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to provide ASD units in a school (details supplied) to cater for those girls that finish in the preschool units and are not able or ready to attend main stream classes. [2273/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for organising and planning provision for children with Special Educational Needs, including establishing special classes in mainstream primary and post primary schools.

Special classes are part of a continuum of educational provision that enables students with more complex special educational needs to be educated, in smaller class groups, within their local mainstream schools.

Progress in developing the network of Special Classes has been significant and there are currently 1,153 available, which is an increase of over 100% on the number available in 2011, which was 548. Of these, 127 are ASD early intervention classes, 525 are primary ASD classes and 237 are post-primary ASD classes.

Early intervention classes are intended to provide early support for children with ASD before they start school. Following early intervention children will attend a mainstream class unless there is professional guidance that they require a special class.

Special classes offer a supportive learning environment to students with ASD who are unable to access the curriculum in a mainstream class, even with support, for most or all of their school day. Special classes for students with ASD are staffed with a lower pupil–teacher ratio of 6:1 at primary level and 6:1.5 at post primary level, and also have Special Needs Assistant support normally amounting to 2 Ss for a class of 6 children.

Students enrolled in special classes should be included in mainstream classes to the greatest extent possible, in line with their abilities.

The NCSE has informed my Department that they are satisfied that there are sufficient ASD Primary special class placements to meet existing demand in the area referred to by the Deputy.

With regard to future potential need in this area, the NCSE has advised that they are continuing to engage with schools in the area to open special classes where there is an identified need for special class provision.

All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO and parents are encouraged to liaise with the local SENO to discuss placement options for their child using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.

The NCSE recently launched guidelines for Boards of Management and Principals of Primary and Post Primary schools which provide information on setting up and organising special classes. These guidelines are available to download from www.ncse.ie.