I propose to take Questions Nos. 305, 328, 332, 340, 390, 391, 393, 395 and 397 to 401, inclusive, together.
The task force on autism put forward a range of important recommendations, to which the Deputy refers, in the area of continuing professional development. My Department continues to addresses these recommendations, on a phased basis, through existing supports, through newly established structures and through specific interventions.
Provision for children of pre-school age with autistic spectrum disorders is generally made available through the relevant health authority. My Department's involvement in provision for such children is confined to a few special pre-school class units attached to primary schools. The existing pre-service teacher training courses contain appropriate elements to assist teachers in dealing with the full range of pupils, including those with special educational needs. Discussions with the various colleges of education and universities are ongoing in order to ensure that appropriate responses are made to the continuing needs for all trainee teachers to acquire knowledge of, and familiarity with, the needs of children with special educational needs, including children with autism.
My Department has developed a strategy designed to meet the continuing professional development needs of all school personnel working with children with special educational needs, including children with autistic spectrum disorder. Specifically, the strategy has produced a major expansion of the range of postgraduate professional training programmes; the introduction of a range of new training programmes to provide a mix of intensive induction training and more advanced training in specific areas; and the establishment of the new special education support service, established in September 2003. The increased training provision is specifically designed to address the complex range and variety of training needs in the special education needs area, including autism.
For teachers involved in teaching children with special educational needs, my Department provides annual support for 140 places on a postgraduate diploma programme in special educational needs; 20 places on a postgraduate programme in autism; 16 places on a further education — masters programme in special educational needs; and 160 on the postgraduate programme in learning support. This major increase in postgraduate training places will further increase the number of teachers who have developed their skills in previous years. The new diploma programmes also aim not only to provide development and support at individual teacher level, but also at whole school-staff level.
My Department also funded the development of an applied behaviour analysis training programme in Trinity College Dublin and funded the participation of 12 teachers on the course in 2003-04. The successful participants are now available to the Department, as classroom teachers and as a further training resource. Short-term induction programmes in special educational needs are provided annually by several teacher training colleges — usually two or three courses per college, catering for up to 120 teachers.
My Department put in place, in September 2003, the special education support service to manage, co-ordinate and develop a range of supports in response to identified training needs. This is hosted in Laois Education Centre and is funded by my Department. As part of its response to the growing demand from teachers for support and training, also reflected in the findings of the task force report, the special education support service is developing teams of trainers to deliver training in four specific areas: autism, challenging behaviour, dyslexia and inclusion at post-primary level. This training will be delivered locally across the State through the education centre network.
In addition, the service provides immediate responses to requests from schools for support in a variety of autism-related areas. The service also funds the provision of on-line training courses, including a course on autism, during July and August and during the autumn and spring terms. The service funds approved approaches to the teaching of children with autism such as picture exchange communication system and treatment and education of autistic and related communication handicapped children and the Hanen approach. All courses on autism deal with the application, in an eclectic and child-centred manner, of the range of approved approaches to the teaching of children with autism. One of the conditions of the provision of funding for all courses is that they are evaluated.
In September 2004, my Department, as a joint venture with the Department of Education Northern Ireland, launched the centre for autism, in Middletown, County Armagh. As a model of best practice, the centre will provide a lead for, and offer exemplars of, educational interventions, will provide training for professionals and parents, as well as a research facility and an out-reach support service which will complement developing service provision locally.
The special education needs organisers working under the remit of the National Council for Special Education will be a focal point of contact for schools and parents as well as processing individual applications for resources for special educational needs. However, the organisers have no central role in in-career development of teachers. Nevertheless, contact will be maintained between the council and the special education support service so that best practice and new developments in the special education area can be shared. The role of the newly established teaching council in training courses for teachers remains to be clarified but my officials are engaged on this work.