Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 30 Jun 1999

Vol. 507 No. 3

Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.

Jack Wall

Question:

191 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science the facilities, if any, put in place to provide education needs for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16880/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

I am aware of the case to which the Deputy refers.

My Department is currently providing nine hours home tuition per week for the child in question while efforts are continuing to secure him a suitable educational placement.

I can assure the Deputy that every effort is being made to arrange suitable provision as speedily as possible.

Jack Wall

Question:

192 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans, if any, his Department has to deal with the high number of young people with undiagnosed attention deficit disorder who have dropped out of the education system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16881/99]

Jack Wall

Question:

193 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans, if any, in place in September 1999 for the provision of psychological assessment, resource and remedial teachers, counselling and other supports for children suffering from attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16882/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 192 and 193 together.

Attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are characterised by pupils exhibiting persistent and maladaptive levels of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.

The management of pupils behaviour is part of all teacher training. Special additional in-service training is available for groups of teachers dealing with children with particular difficulties, including children displaying the characteristics mentioned above.

Children with less serious forms of this condition are capable of functioning successfully in integrated settings, with the help of resource teachers. For children with more serious forms of troubled behaviour, a range of special schools and special classes dealing with emotional or behavioural disorders is available.

I recently announced a major development in special education services under which all special needs children in the primary system are now entitled to an automatic response to their needs. The response in question may take the form of additional teacher or child care support, or both, depending on the needs of the particular child. Details of these new arrangements, which are available to the pupils referred to by the Deputy, have recently been circularised to all schools.

I have also announced the extension of the remedial teacher service to all primary and post-primary schools in the country from September next.

The assessment of children who are suspected of suffering from attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is best carried out in a multi-disciplinary setting. Classroom teachers, in consultation with educational psychologists, will usually carry out the initial identification and referral to a clinical team for diagnosis. The availability of such psychological advice to teachers will be considerably enhanced with the establishment of the national educational psychological service agency. This agency will begin to provide a service on 1 September, 1999. The process of recruiting additional psychologists for the agency has already begun. An advertisement for additional staff has been placed and interviews for the new posts will be held shortly. It is envisaged that all schools will have access to the new psychological service at the end of a five-year period and most will have access before that time. The national educational psychological service will be organised in close collaboration with the clinical psychological services in order to ensure that all children have access to appropriate help.