Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 1 Feb 2000

Vol. 513 No. 3

Written Answers. - Verbal Apraxia.

David Stanton

Question:

296 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science the criteria used by his Department when diagnosing verbal apraxia; the way this difficulty impinges on the education of children; the extent of this difficulty in schools; the supports, if any, available to assist children with this difficulty; the further plans, if any, he has to provide additional support to these children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2248/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

The condition to which the Deputy refers is generally diagnosed by a speech and language therapist or medical specialist. The speech of a pupil with verbal apraxia may not be fluent and there is defective phonology. Children suffering from the condition can be difficult to understand and there can be associated learning disability in terms of acquiring literacy skills.

My Department does not have details of the extent of the condition in question among school children. Pupils with more severe forms of this condition are generally enrolled in special classes dedicated to children with speech and language disorders. Such classes operate at a pupil teacher ratio of 7:1 and have the support of a speech therapy service provided by the relevant health board. Children attending such classes also attract special increased rates of capitation funding. My Department will continue to provide such classes in any area where a need for such provision has been identified.

Individual children with less severe forms of the condition in question can be catered for in mainstream schools on a fully integrated basis, with the support where necessary of the remedial or resource teaching service.

The remedial teaching service has been extended to all first and second level schools from the commencement of the current school year. I would also point out that arising from a Government decision of October 1998 all children assessed as having special educational needs within the primary system now have an automatic entitlement to special support services. Already, as a result of this development, my Department has allocated an additional 225 resource teachers and 642 child care assistants to support children with special needs in the primary system.

All primary schools have been advised of this development and of the procedures to be followed by schools in seeking support for special needs pupils. My Department is responding to requests for such support on an ongoing basis and will continue to make the relevant resources available to support such pupils, including those with verbal apraxia. However, in the case of children with verbal apraxia, the input of the speech and language therapist will continue to be of particular importance.