The Ombudsman for Children encouraged my Department to consider publishing a policy document on educating children with autism. As noted by the Deputy my Department advised in March 2013 that it was preparing to bring together all of the facets of the policy on the education of children with autism into one document to provide further clarity on the issue. In the interim I requested the National Council Special Education (NCSE) to bring forward policy advice on the education of children with autism. The NCSE has advised my Department that 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. 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. Therefore I see no merit in revising the existing format of the current policy in advance of the publication of the new policy advice. However my officials are currently compiling an information pamphlet for parents of children with autism in consultation with NCSE ; the pamphlet is aimed at informing parents and guardians of my Department's policy on the education of children with autism and the supports and services available to them. The Ombudsman for Children's office supports this approach to the aforementioned encouragement.
The following revised reply was received on 7 May 2014:
The Ombudsman for Children encouraged my Department to consider publishing a policy document on educating children with autism. As noted by the Deputy, my Department advised in March 2013 that it was preparing to bring together all of the facets of the policy on the education of children with autism into one document to provide further clarity on the issue.
In the interim I requested the National Council Special Education (NCSE) to bring forward policy advice on the education of children with autism. The NCSE has advised my Department that 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.
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. Therefore, I see no merit in revising the exiting format of the current policy in advance of the publication of the new policy advice.
However, my officials are currently compiling an information pamphlet for parents of children with autism in consultation with NCSE; the pamphlet is aimed at informing parents and guardians of my Department’s policy on the education of children with autism and the supports and services available to them.
My Department has not received correspondence from the Ombudsman’s office expressing its dissatisfaction with this decision.
