Written answers

Wednesday, 17 February 2021

Department of Education and Skills

Special Educational Needs

Photo of Pauline TullyPauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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430. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a school is excluded from applying for assistive technology as outlined under Circular 0010/2013 for a student in a special class or an ASD unit when the assistive technology is deemed necessary on the basis of a professional report and by the teachers concerned and in circumstances in which it is clear that existing equipment in the school is insufficient to meet the child's needs without unduly depriving other children of access to the equipment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8502/21]

Photo of Josepha MadiganJosepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides funding to schools towards the cost of assistive technology for pupils in Primary, Post Primary and Special schools, for equipment and specialist software for educational purposes under the Assistive Technology scheme, as set out in my Department's Circular 0010/2013.

In order to qualify for equipment under the Assistive Technology scheme, a child must have been diagnosed with a physical or communicative disability and must also have a recommendation in a professional assessment that the equipment is essential in order to allow the child to access the curriculum. It must also be clear that the existing I.T. equipment in the school is insufficient to meet the child's needs.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including applications for assistive technology.

Special Needs Organisers (SENOs) make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology is required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in making recommendations for support, as set out in my Department's Circular 0010/2013.

It is open to schools to appeal this decision. The appeals process is outlined on my Department’s website at the following link:

All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.

Photo of Pauline TullyPauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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431. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a child (details supplied) has been refused a grant for assistive technology even though it is deemed necessary by the child's teachers and occupational therapist and has been signed off by the special educational needs organiser; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8503/21]

Photo of Josepha MadiganJosepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including applications for assistive technology.

Special Needs Organisers (SENOs) make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology is required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in making recommendations for support, as set out in my Department's Circular 0010/2013.

In order to qualify for equipment under the assistive technology scheme, a child must have been diagnosed with a physical or communicative disability and must also have a recommendation in a professional assessment that the equipment is essential in order to allow the child to access the curriculum. It must also be clear that the existing IT equipment in the school is insufficient to meet the child's needs.

An application for equipment in respect of this pupil under the Assistive Technology Scheme has been approved by my Department. An email will issue to the school detailing the level of grant payable.

Photo of Pauline TullyPauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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432. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a child (details supplied) has been refused the grant for assistive technology even though it is deemed necessary by their teachers and occupational therapist and signed off by the SENO; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8504/21]

Photo of Josepha MadiganJosepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating Resource Teachers and Special Needs Assistants to schools to support children with special educational needs. SENOs also make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology is required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.

The NCSE has advised my Department that the pupil in question does not meet my Department's criteria for the allocation of Assistive Technology.

In order to qualify for equipment under the assistive technology scheme, a child must have been diagnosed with a physical or communicative disability and must also have a recommendation in a professional assessment that the equipment is essential in order to allow the child to access the curriculum. It must also be clear that the existing I.T. equipment in the school is insufficient to meet the child's needs.

It is open to the school to appeal this decision. The appeals process is outlined on my Department’s website at the following link:

All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact the SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie. It is open to the school and/or parents to contact the SENO in the context of supports that may be available to support the pupil in question.

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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433. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if dyslexia assessments will continue to run for children referred by their schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8511/21]

Photo of Josepha MadiganJosepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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DES Circular 007/2019 for primary schools and 008/2019 for post primary schools set out the details of the model for allocating special education teachers to schools.

The Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile. This model has replaced the previous model of allocating resource teaching support and learning support to schools.

The Special Education Teacher allocation, allows schools to provide additional teaching support for all pupils who require such support in their schools and for schools to deploy resources based on each pupil’s individual learning needs.

It gives greater flexibility to schools as to how they can deploy their resources, to take account of the actual learning needs pupils have, as opposed to being guided by a particular diagnosis of disability, and schools are guided as to how they should make such allocation decisions.

The school will take account of learning needs of children as evidenced by performance in schools but also supported where relevant by information provided regarding the nature of a condition that a pupil may have.

The Department of Education and Skills has published guidelines for schools as to how they should utilise and deploy their resources under the new allocation model, which are available at www.education.ie.

The guidelines support schools in how they identify pupils for additional teaching support and decide how much support to provide for pupils who need it.

Under the special education teacher allocation model schools are frontloaded with resources, based on each schools profile, to provide supports immediately to those pupils who need it without delay.

Children who need support can have that support provided immediately rather than having to wait for a diagnosis.

Children do not have to be labelled with a particular condition to qualify for extra teaching assistance. (Suggest replace with Children and young people do not require a diagnosis in order to access support for their learning difficulties in school,

The model gives greater freedom to schools to give extra teaching help to the pupils who most need it, regardless of their diagnosis.

Schools also do not have to give a set amount of time to pupils based on their disability category. They can give the most assistance to the pupils who need the support most and allocate resources based on needs.

Dyslexia is understood in the context the severity and persistence of an individual’s needs over time and their response to intervention. This approach aligns with the new Special Educational model in schools, which uses a problem solving approach to identify the specific needs of the individual, places the focus on matching of specific interventions to that need and support their literacy development and reviews progress.

Children who have additional learning needs in school, including children with dyslexia, may receive additional teaching support in schools, without a requirement for them to have a formal assessment or diagnosis of a particular condition.

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