Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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198. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the procedures followed when a school is compelled by him to establish an autism unit; the funding provided for the school to establish such a unit; the specialist expertise the school is resourced to procure; the training provided to existing staff to ensure that the autism unit is competent and effective in the delivery of specialist education to pupils as opposed to just an autism unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27662/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department's policy is to provide for the inclusive education of children with special educational needs, including Autism, in mainstream school settings, unless such a placement would not be in the best interests of the child concerned, or the children with whom they will be educated.

Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range of appropriate educational interventions, delivered by fully qualified professional teachers, with the support of Special Needs Assistants and the appropriate school curriculum.

The NCSE policy advice on Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (2016) found that Students are generally well supported in schools with appropriate curriculum; extensive teacher and SNA supports; improving range of educational placements supported by improved accommodation and equipment; improved teacher knowledge and understanding and a generally good standard of provision at primary and post primary levels.

The greater proportion of children with Autism attend mainstream classes, but some students may find it difficult to manage full-time placement there and will require the environment of an ASD special class for some or all of their time in school and for a minority of children with Special Educational Needs including Autism, placements in a Special School may be required.

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 a minimum of two SNAs for every class of 6 children. Schools are encouraged to appropriately qualified teachers to these special classes.

The Special Educational Support Service (SESS) provides continuous professional development for teachers including those who are deployed to Special Classes.

Other resources which are provided to schools to support children with Special Educational Needs including Autism include the following:

- The National Educational Psychological Service

- Assistive technology.

- Access to the Special School transport scheme.

- Access to special equipment and furniture where required.

- Enhanced capitation grants at primary level

- Adapted school buildings.

- Access to the extended school year scheme. (July Provision)

The NCSE, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), in consultation with the relevant education partners, is responsible for the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas where there is an identified need.

The NCSE is aware of emerging need from year to year, and where special class provision is required, it is planned and established to meet that need. The NCSE continues to establish additional special classes to support children with Special Educational Needs including Autism as required. 

Since 2011, the NCSE has increased the number of such classes by over 130% from 548 in 2011 to 1,304 across the country now.  This network includes 1,048 ASD special classes, of which 130 are ASD early intervention classes, 641 primary ASD classes and 277 post-primary ASD classes in mainstream schools. In addition there are currently 124 Special schools of which 20 cater exclusively for children with Autism.

Schools may apply to the NCSE to open a special class where a need has been identified in their area i.e. a number of students have professional reports indicating they require the support of a special class.

The NCSE through the local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO), may also approach a school directly where they are aware that a special class is or will be required in the near future. Before approaching a particular school to request the establishment of a special class, SENOs take into account both present and future potential need within the area and must be satisfied that the class is sustainable and appropriately located. 

In the case of all new schools, it is general practice to include a Special Needs Unit (SNU) in the accommodation brief for new school buildings, unless local circumstances indicate that it will not be required. Typically, a two classroom SNU is provided in new primary schools and a two or four classroom unit is provided in new post-primary schools.

In the case of existing schools, where a school is not in a position to accommodate a special class within its existing accommodation, it is open to the school to submit an application to the Department for capital funding to (i) re-configure existing spaces within the school building to accommodate the class or (ii) to construct additional accommodation.

My 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.

My Department has acknowledged that in recent years the establishment of special class provision in some schools and communities has been challenging.

As part of the process of planning for future provision, a number of measures have been included in the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 to provide certain powers to the NCSE to designate a school placement for a child in circumstances where a child is experiencing difficulties in securing enrolment.

The Bill also proposes powers for the Minister, in certain circumstances, to require a school to open a special class for children with special educational needs. This amendment will give the Minister the power to compel a school to open a special class or classes where the National Council for Special Education has identified a need for such provision within an area.

These proposed measures would further enhance the ability of my Department and the NCSE to plan for special class provision and to address issues in provision that may arise from time in time at local levels.

Guidelines for Boards of Management and Principals of Primary and Post Primary schools contain information on setting up and organising special classes, including information on resources which may be provided to schools to establish special classes are available to download from www.ncse.ie.