My Department's policy is focused on ensuring that all children, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. The policy is to provide for children with special educational needs, including autism, to be included in mainstream schools unless such a placement would not be in their best interests or the interests of the children with whom they are to be educated. Some children may be supported in a special class attached to a mainstream school. These students have the option, where appropriate, of full/partial integration and interaction with other pupils. Other children may have such complex needs that they are best placed in a special school. The establishment of a network of autism-specific special classes in schools across the country has been a key educational priority in recent years. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports, including the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas as required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. In Co. Kildare there are currently 36 autism specific classes in 18 Primary Schools including 5 in the school to which the Deputy refers. At post primary level, there are 9 ASD classes attached to 7 schools in the county. In addition to this my Department operates a Home Tuition scheme, the purpose of which is to provide a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school or for children with a special educational need who are awaiting an educational placement and also to provide early educational intervention for pre-school children with autism. Children with autism between the ages of 2.5 and 3 are eligible for home tuition. The home tuition continues from their 3rd birthday if no placement in a school based autism early intervention class is available for them. I wish to advise the Deputy that the provision of health services for school children with special education needs, including initial assessments and other services provided by the service provider to which he refers, are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Health.
