I wish to advise the Deputy that all schools have a permanent allocation of Learning Support resources which they can use to provide additional teaching support to assist pupils who have learning support needs in schools, including pupils who have learning support needs arising from a medical condition. There is not a prescriptive list of medical conditions for which this support can be applied and it is a matter for schools to allocate learning support resources in a manner to pupils taking into account their individual needs.
Additionally, my Departments Circular SP ED 02/05 details a number of specific conditions which have been designated as 'Low Incidence' Special Educational needs ' for whom the National Council for Special Education may make an additional allocation of resource teaching support to a school. Details of the low incidence disability categories designated are provided in the table.
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Low Incidence Disabilities
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Autism
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Emotional Behaviour Disorder
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Hearing Impairment
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Moderate General Learning Disability
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Multiple disabilities
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Physical disability
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Severe Emotional Behaviour Disorder
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Severe & Profound General Learning Disability
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Specific speech and Language disorder
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Visual impairment
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Assessed syndrome in conjunction with one of the above low incidence disabilities
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I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides for a range of services and supports to ensure that children with Special Educational Needs, including children suffering from serious medical conditions such as Narcolepsy, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs. My Department has provided information to schools in relation to the condition of Narcolepsy which includes guidance on the accommodations which can be made in schools to assist such children. This information is available on my Department's website www.education.ie.
These supports may include extra learning support from the school's General Allocation or Learning Support allocations, Home Tuition support which provides a compensatory educational service to children who have had major disruption to their attendance at school due their medical condition and special arrangements for State Examinations. The educational supports required in each instance are considered on the basis of the assessed needs of the children. Schools may, if necessary, seek guidance from their National Educational Psychological Services Psychologist or National Council for Special Education Special Educational Needs Organiser regarding accommodations that they can make for children with narcolepsy.
