Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 April 2013
74. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address the fact that Down's Syndrome is not categorised as a low incidence disability, meaning less teaching supports and acting as a deterrent to Down's Sydrome children receiving a mainstream education. [17450/13]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware of this Government's ongoing commitment to ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including those with Down syndrome, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs. The policy of my Department is to secure the maximum possible level of inclusion of students with special educational needs in mainstream primary and post-primary schools, or where a special school or special class placement may be required to ensure such placements are provided for.
Pupils with Down syndrome attending mainstream schools may receive additional teaching support in primary schools, either under the terms of the General Allocation Model (GAM) of teaching supports, if the pupil's educational psychological assessment places the pupil in the mild general learning disability/high incidence disability category, or through an allocation of individual additional resource teaching hours which are allocated by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), if the child is assessed as being within the low incidence category of special need, as defined by my Department's Circular Sp Ed 02/05.
I have asked the National Council for Special Education to provide me with policy advice on the issue of whether Down syndrome should be reclassified as a low incidence disability in all instances, regardless of assessed cognitive ability. This advice will be included in the NCSE's comprehensive policy advice on how the education system can best support children with special educational needs which is currently in preparation and which is expected in the coming months.
All schools were advised to apply to the NCSE for resource teaching or SNA support for the 2013/14 school year before 15th March 2013 and schools will be notified by Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) of their resource teaching allocation for the new school year, based on the number of valid applications received.
