Children with autistic spectrum disorder have access to a range of provision within the school system. The model and level of support provided in each case is based on the professionally assessed needs of the individual child. In some cases, children with autism can attend mainstream schools on an integrated basis with the support of the resource teacher and special needs assistant services. More commonly, the required response takes the form of placement in a special dedicated class which can be attached to a mainstream school or a special school. There are 93 such classes in place at present which all cater for a maximum of six pupils and each class has the support of a teacher and two special needs assistants. Additional therapeutic service inputs are provided by the relevant health authority.
In addition to the above provision, my Department is currently funding the operation of three pilot projects which are using models of approach based on the applied behavioural analysis method. The objective is to test the effectiveness of this approach as a model of response to the educational needs of children with autism. A number of children with autistic spectrum disorder are also in receipt of home based tuition funded by my Department.
Curriculum development for children with autistic spectrum disorder is based on detailed diagnostic psychological and other professional reports that indicate areas of strength and weakness in respect of each child, and on the mainstream or special curriculum adapted to meet the pupils' needs, age, ability and interests. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment – NCCA – has been requested to prepare guidelines for schools on how the curriculum can be most readily accessed by children with autistic spectrum disorder. Teaching new, acceptable and functional behaviours and dispensing with unacceptable learned behaviours forms part of the curriculum for each child and will also be a focus of the NCCA guidelines.
In October 2000, I established a special task force to review current approaches to addressing the educational needs of children with autism spectrum disorder and make recommendations for the future development of services in this area. Also, in May of this year, my Department commissioned the UK based National Foundation for Educational Research to carry out a review of all current State funded models of response to the educational needs of children with autism.
