Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 April 2014
50. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 342 of 25 March 2015, if he will provide a list of the entire range of autism specific interventions that he is referring to in his response, not including applied behaviour analysis, treatment and education of autistic communication handicapped children and picture exchange communication system. [16842/14]
View answer51. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide the specific peer reviewed research that supports and demonstrates the effectiveness of the treatment and education of autistic communication handicapped children approach. [16843/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 51 together. As outlined to the Deputy previously, my Department's position is that as each child with autism is unique, they should have access to a range of different approaches to meet their individual needs with access facilitated to individualised education programmes and fully qualified professional teachers who may draw from a range of autism specific interventions. Teachers have access, through the Special Education Support Service (SESS), to continuing professional development (CPD) in a range of autism specific interventions, including those referred to in my previous response. However there is not an exhaustive list of autism specific interventions. Teachers can contact SESS directly or can access information on an ongoing basis on the SESS website www.sess.ie which includes a comprehensive calendar of CPD events. The Deputy will be aware from my previous response that my Department's child – centred approach to the education of children with special educational needs including autism is based on advice from my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS); the Inspectorate, the report of the Irish Task Force on Autism which takes full account of advice from a range of international experts on autism, and research and reviews published by international and national experts and not just one specific piece of research. The National Council Special Education (NCSE) is currently preparing policy advice on the education of children with autism. The Policy Advice will be delivered in the spring of 2015 and will draw upon findings gathered from an extensive consultation process which has already commenced. The advice will also draw upon the research commissioned by the NCSE as well as any other research which may be available and which the NCSE considers merits consideration. It will be open to all interested parties to contribute to the consultation process and I expect that the NCSE final report will reflect the broadest possible range of views and provide recommendations which will assist the development of policy for future years.
