Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1048. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department can replace the term "unit" in all references to ASD thus ensuring inclusiveness, integration and togetherness which the word "unit" is the antithesis of, and as it immediately labels and stigmatises students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40733/21]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I wish to thank the Deputy for raising this important issue.

My Department is very conscious of the issue of the language around autism, and this includes the use of the term “unit” to describe an ASD class. In this regard, the Department uses the term special classes instead.

My Department will continue to emphasise the replacement of this word and seek to ensure that it is not used in any correspondence that is issued or documentation that is published.