Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 May 2017
125. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children a primary school can refer for a NEPS assessment in a given school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26082/17]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases receive assessment services through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Under this scheme schools can have a student 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.
In common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution focused consultative approach to maximise positive outcomes for these pupils. NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they need to at this stage in the process. Only in the event of a failure to make reasonable progress, in spite of the school's best efforts in consultation with NEPS, will the psychologist become involved with an individual child for intensive intervention or assessment. This system allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually. It also ensures that children are not referred unnecessarily for psychological intervention.
In this context school authorities should raise for consideration with their assigned NEPS psychologist or local NEPS office cases where ongoing concerns remain in relation to pupils social emotional or educational development with a view looking at the appropriateness of direct intervention by the psychologist. It is the product of these discussions which will inform, for example, the number of formal assessment to be undertaken rather than any applied limit thereof.
