Robert Troy
Question:255. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will allocate more funding to schools for student psychological reports (details supplied). [26832/13]
View answerTuesday, 11 June 2013
Questions (255)
Written answers
As stated in our reply of the 23rd May all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are on the Department's website. Where a NEPS psychologist is not assigned to a school, authorities therein may access psychological assessments through SCPA. Under this scheme schools can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly. My Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) operates an early intervention continuum of assessment in schools for students with the broad range of special educational needs. The continuum of assessment allows for the identification of pupils with special educational needs, their nature and severity by harnessing the experience of class teachers and support teachers, in consultation with parents, and with the support of the psychologist. It also provides for the development of immediate responses and interventions designed to ameliorate the particular needs identified at the appropriate level, either in the classroom or with the assistance of the support teacher. This allows for a response to be put in place at the earliest possible juncture for students before their difficulties can become intractable. Assessment of needs at this stage of the continuum involves information gathering, testing and observation by the various school personnel involved and support from the NEPS psychologist, as required. Where the pupil does not make adequate progress following the interventions, or where the nature of the child's special educational needs are significant, severe and complex, the school may agree with the psychologist that a psycho-educational assessment be conducted to identify the specific nature of the needs and the appropriate response necessary. Students, so identified, are scheduled for assessment within that school year. There is therefore no quota applied to schools under the process. I must again inform the Deputy that while assessments were available to the school heretofore this year no assessment was raised in respect of the student named in the Deputy's question. It is the responsibility of the school Principal in the first instance to identify and prioritise pupils for assessment under the process described above. I wish to inform the Deputy that a Psychologist has been assigned to this School from September 2013 and they will be liaising with the Principal regarding the school's needs in general terms and specifically in relation to this student. I would advise that the school Principal, in the first instance, should be contacted in relation to concerns for any pupil which require intervention from the NEPS service.