Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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91. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children with autism spectrum disorder per county currently in receipt of home tuition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6458/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The purpose of the Special Education Home Tuition Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons such as a significant medical illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme also provides a compensatory educational service for children with special educational needs seeking an educational placement and provision is made for early educational intervention for children with autism.

Children aged 2.5 years with a diagnosis of ASD are not eligible for enrolment in an early intervention class and qualify for 10 hours tuition per week under the terms of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme, should the parent wish to avail of it. Home Tuition continues from their 3rd birthday if no placement in a school based autism early intervention class is available for them.  The number of hours tuition per week will then increase to 20 for eligible children.

When a child with an autism diagnosis reaches 4 years of age they may be accommodated in a number of school settings. In such circumstances, a school placement can be a place in a mainstream class in a mainstream school, a place in a special class attached to a mainstream school, a place in an early intervention class for children with ASD (where the child will not reach the age of 6 during the school year), or a place in a special school.  Where there is no educational placement available, my Department will consider applications under the Home Tuition Grant Scheme, where the child can receive 20 hours home tuition per week and until a placement is available.

The Home Tuition Grant Scheme is an interim measure to provide for education until an educational placement becomes available. When a school placement becomes available the Home Tuition Grant will be discontinued.

Home Tuition has been approved to date in this school year for 629 children aged over 2.5 years with special educational needs, including children with autism. Of these, the vast majority of children are under the age of 6 years and are awaiting their first school placement.

The table contains information by county on the number of children with special educational needs, including autism, who have been approved for home tuition to date in this school year.

Number of children with Special Educational Needs approved for Home Tuition 2016/17