Vol. 443 No. 7
208 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Education the education facilities provided for autistic children in the County Limerick area in view of the fact that remedial teaching and special school facilities are not considered suitable for the educational requirements of the children concerned; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
In considering appropriate educational provision for children with autism it is necessary to take account of factors such as the severity of the autistic symptoms and the level of intelligence and of language development. No one type of educational provision will meet the needs of all children with autism. There is a continuum of special education needs which is best served by a corresponding range of educational provisions. Accordingly, some needs may be catered for in the ordinary school, while more acute needs can best be met in a more specialised setting.
Depending on individual circumstances, educational provision can be made in any one of the following: (a) an ordinary national school with the support of a remedial or resource teacher; (b) a special class in an ordinary national school; (c) a special school for mentally handicapped children; (d) a special school for children with emotional and/or behavioural disorders.
A range of special education facilities is provided in the County Limerick area and these facilities focus on the assessed needs of children in the area.
If the Deputy has particular cases in mind and can provide further details, I will have those cases fully investigated. Without such details, I am not in a position to comment on the appropriateness of existing provision.
