Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

283. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the special needs unit in a school (details supplied) will open in September 2018; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the school will have a further ten junior infant children with autism spectrum disorder starting school in September in addition to high numbers of pupils with complex needs in large junior and senior infant classes. [12926/18]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

284. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to approve the immediate opening of one special class in a school (details supplied) in view of the long waiting list of children with autism requiring places in special classes in Firhouse and the surrounding areas; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that opening a special class now would alleviate the pressure on mainstream classes and enable the school to start the process for opening the second special class in the special needs unit for children with autism in September 2018. [12927/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is an independent statutory body whose functions include planning and co-ordinating the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs in conjunction with schools and the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The NCSE, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports as required, once a child has been enrolled in a school. The NCSE is aware of emerging need from year to year and where special provision is required it is planned and established to meet that need, including the establishment of special classes in mainstream primary and post primary schools.

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 are for students who have a recommendation for a special class placement in their professional reports.

The NCSE, in looking to open special classes, must take into account the present and future potential need for such classes, taking particular account of the educational needs of the children concerned. The NCSE will also take account of location and sustainability in looking to establish special classes in certain areas.

In addition, the NCSE will consider:

- the school’s accommodation and accessibility

- the number of special classes, if any, already in the school.

In order to identify need in any area for the forthcoming school year, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) refer to professional reports indicating students require the support of a special class. In this regard parents/guardians of students with ASD seeking a special class placement should provide the relevant professional report to their local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) to inform the planning process.

The report must state that:

- S/he has ASD

- S/he has significant learning needs that require the support of a special class setting and the reasons why this is the case.

The NCSE has advised officials in my Department that 2 new ASD Primary classes will be established in Firhouse Educate Together N.S for the forthcoming school year.

The Department continues to work with the NCSE to ensure that there is appropriate planning in place to ensure that all children who require special class placements can access such placements in schools within their communities.

In addition to 2 special classes, the special education teaching allocation provided for 2017/18 was maintained at the allocation that the school, referred to by the Deputy, received in the previous school year. In October 2017, the school was provided with an additional SEN allocation of 2.45 hours on the grounds that the school qualified for one additional developing mainstream teaching post. The school has now received a revised total special education teaching allocation which equates to over 2 full time additional Special Education Teachers. This is a very significant allocation for a school of this size, which has a current enrolment of 169 pupils.

DES Circular 0013/2017 for primary schools and 0014/2017 for post primary schools were published on 7 March 2017 which set out the details of the new model for allocating special education teachers to schools.