I will. It was stated at the meeting to which I refer that:
The issue of whether Down's syndrome should be classified as a low incidence disability in all instances, regardless of assessed cognitive ability, has been raised with the Department subsequent to the introduction of the general allocation model, GAM. The issue of whether there is an equitable basis for re-classifying Down's syndrome as a low incidence disability is therefore a matter which is under review by my Department in the context of its review of the general allocation model.
It is in the context of this extremely useful statement and having met parents in Galway whose children have Down's syndrome, that I wish to strongly advocate that the syndrome should be reclassified as a low-incidence disability in order that the children who have it might access dedicated individual teaching hours as part of their overall education. This would allow us to meet the requirements of the Education Act in the context of the delivery of an appropriate education that is dependent on individual children's needs.
As the Minister is aware, the allocation of resources in primary schools is based on low and high-incidence categories. Children with a moderate learning disability are entitled to resource teaching hours, rightly so. However, children with a mild learning disability are not so entitled. This is a matter of great concern for parents and teachers and it impacts greatly on the manner of the educational inclusion experienced by such children in mainstream schools. One-to-one time is hugely beneficial to all children with Down's syndrome, particularly when they enter the mainstream, because it assists in their being fully integrated.
I have experience with this matter, not just in Ireland but also in the United States. Children with Down's syndrome generally present with both language and physical difficulties. On occasion, they need to be lifted in order to keep pace with other mainstream children. In that context, they require more assistance than that which can be delivered by a school operating a general allocation model resource programme. The fact that children in both categories — moderate and mild — have Down's syndrome should copper-fasten the right to resources.
I wish to bring to the Minister's attention the experience of the parents of one girl in order to illustrate the difficulties children with Down's syndrome are encountering and why the reclassification to which I refer is essential. The little girl, Maeve, is the youngest of four girls. She will be five in August and is a bright, endearing child who is very motivated and independently minded. Her parents, rightly, have never set limits on her ability just because she has Down's syndrome. She is making great progress and they are delighted with the results of the various inputs to see her developing so well. She is due to start primary school in September 2012 and her parents have decided on a mainstream school. Unfortunately, it is not their local school but one based in Galway city, as that school had significant knowledge of special needs, experience of teaching children with Down's syndrome and access to various programmes and good facilities. They felt Maeve would thrive in the school. They were delighted to hear that a place was available and they filled in the application form and provided the psychologist's report. A few days later, they received a telephone call from the principal, who was happy to accept the child. He felt that he needed to inform them that because of a diagnosis of a mild intellectual disability, Maeve would not be entitled to receive additional supports over and above what was already provided for the school. The school has children with needs and is stretched in the provision of learning support, even down to minutes for certain children. The principal stressed that the recommendations made by the psychologist for Maeve, such as differentiating the curriculum, providing visual supports, implementing various programmes, planning meetings and individual education plans may not be feasible for the school to implement. That endangers the provision of an appropriate education for her under the Education Act 1988.
Maeve is a wonderful little girl but she comes with a label of Down's syndrome, has a learning disability, complex needs and is unable to string a sentence together. She now has, in the view of her parents, the "bad luck" of being given a diagnosis of mild intellectual disability, which means she will not have allocated learning resources and is therefore regarded as competing for the same teaching resources as any other child on the normal spectrum who may have a reading disability, for example. Her mother has indicated that she struggles "to understand why this little girl, who has a life limiting condition and is termed as permanently incapacitated by the HSE and the Department of Social Protection is in the same category as those who may have short term difficulties with maths or reading." Surely no debate is required to justify supporting Maeve by providing the dedicated teaching resources through reclassification from high to low incidence disability or by means of a distinct category for children with Down's syndrome. Furthermore, she will not even be considered for an allocation of extra teaching time due to her significant speech delay because her intellectual disability precludes her from consideration. I have always had difficulty with that. Maeve's mother continues by saying:
Nobody wants to feel that their child is a burden but this is the reality. Schools are very willing to accommodate children with special needs but on a supported basis and rightly so. Teachers are not magicians and principals need to consider the implications for all children. The current system portrays our children as a liability to those who accept them into their school. The current structure of resource hour allocation is closing doors to children.
Will the Minister look at this case as the principal officer in the Department has flagged it as an issue? This child will be at an obvious disadvantage but the effects will also be felt by the school, and its teachers will tear their hair out thinking about how to meet her needs under the Education Act. I look forward to the reply.
