Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 September 2017
95. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to address a situation in a school (details supplied) whereby the school's speech and language class can accommodate only seven pupils, the same number as could be accommodated 20 years ago. [40862/17]
View answer96. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to address the severe shortage of speech and language places for children in north County Dublin schools. [40863/17]
View answer97. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that children refused a speech and language place on grounds of capacity shortage must undergo another psychological assessment and another speech and language assessment the following year at a cost to the HSE; his views on whether a better use of resources would be to provide speech and language places for all children that need them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40864/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 95 to 97, inclusive, together.
My Department provides an extensive range of supports for pupils with Specific Speech and Language Disorder (SSLD) including provision for the establishment of special classes for Specific Speech and Language Disorder in primary schools. Speech and Language Therapy services are provided to these classes by the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including the establishment of additional special classes in various geographical areas, where a need has been identified. The NCSE operates within the Department's criteria in allocating such support and applications meeting the criteria are approved by the NCSE. Applications meeting the criteria are approved by the NCSE.
The criteria for enrolment in a Special Class for pupils with SSLD are set out in my Department's Circular 0038/2007. A full-time teacher is assigned to each class, and classes operate with a reduced pupil-teacher ratio of 7:1. A minimum number of five eligible pupils is required for a school to retain a SSLD class. Eligible pupils may spend up to two years in such classes. An enhanced capitation grant is provided to schools operating special classes for pupils with SSLD. In general, children who meet the criteria for enrolment in Special Classes for pupils with SSLD are eligible for free transport to the SSLD class nearest to his or her place of residence, subject to the terms of the school transport scheme.
The NCSE continues to monitor and review the requirement for special class places in particular areas and has capacity to establish such new special classes where necessary, subject to the willingness of schools to open classes. The NCSE welcomes expressions of interest from schools in opening special classes to meet the demand for special class provision. In deciding on the location of a special class SENOs take into account both the present and the future potential need for special class provision and they must be satisfied that the special class is sustainable and appropriately located. SENOs liaise with relevant professionals in their area to arrive at an informed decision. The opening of a Speech and Language class is, however, contingent on the HSE being in a position to provide Speech and Language therapy to the students in the class.
The Report of the Special Education Review Committee, also known as the SERC Report, provides the basis on which my Department sets the criteria for special education supports for children with special educational needs including children with specific speech and language disorder (SSLD). It is stated in the SERC Report that ‘ Pupils with specific speech and language disorders are those whose non-verbal ability is in the average range band or higher and whose skill in understanding or expressing themselves through the medium of spoken language is severely impaired. Their disability is not attributable, however, to factors such as defective hearing, emotional or behavioural disorders or a physical condition. The disorders may involve difficulty with one or more of the main components of communication through spoken language, receptive and/or expressive, such as the patterning and production of speech sounds, the message content, the syntax and grammar, or the use of speech in interacting with other people.’
The criteria for specific speech and language disorder are set out in my Department in Circulars 08/99, 08/02 and 02/05 and these criteria are consistent with the recommendations in the SERC Report. Appendix 1 of Circular 02/05 Organisation of Teaching Resources for Pupils who need additional Support in Mainstream Primary Schools states the following in relation to specific speech and language disorder:
- Such pupils should meet each of the following criteria:
- The pupil has been assessed by a psychologist on a standardised test of intelligence that places non-verbal or performance ability within the average range or above.
- The pupil has been assessed by a speech therapist on a standardised test of language development that places performance in one or more of the main areas of speech and language development at two standard deviations or more below the mean, or at a generally equivalent level.
- The pupil’s difficulties are not attributable to hearing impairment; where the pupil is affected to some degree by hearing impairment, the hearing threshold for the speech-related frequencies should be 40Db;
- Emotional and behavioural disorders or a physical disability are not considered to be primary causes.
- Pupils with speech and language delays and difficulties are not to be considered under this category.
- In the case of specific speech and language disorder it is a pupil's non-verbal or performance ability that must be within the average range or above. (i.e. non-verbal or performance IQ of 90, or above).
- The pupil must also have been assessed by a speech and language therapist and found to be at two or more standard deviations (S.D.) below the mean, or at a generally equivalent level (i.e. - 2 S.D. or below, at or below a standard score of 70) in one or more of the main areas of speech and language development.
Two assessments, a psychological assessment and a speech and language assessment are necessary in this case.”
The enrolment of pupils in an SSLD special class is managed locally by an Admissions & Discharges Committee, comprising the Speech and Language Therapy Manager, Speech and Language Therapist, Class Teacher and Principal.
It should be noted that pupils who are not enrolled in a special class for SSLD and who meet the criteria for Specific Speech and Language Disorder, as outlined in Circular 0038/2007, may qualify for additional teaching support under the School's Special Education Teaching Support provision, where he/she is enrolled in a mainstream school.
A new model for allocating support to pupils with special educational needs has been implemented from September 2017. Circular 0013/2017 for primary schools which was published on 7 March 2017 sets out the details of the new model for allocating special education teachers to schools. The revised allocation model replaces the generalised allocation process at primary and post primary school level for learning support and high incidence special educational needs, and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocation process which provided additional resource teaching supports to schools, to support pupils assessed as having Low Incidence disabilities. Guidelines for schools on the organisation, deployment and use of their special education teachers have also been published; http://www.education.ie/en/The-Education-System/Special-Education/Guidelines-for-Primary-Schools-Supporting-Pupils-with-Special-Educational-Needs-in-Mainstream-Schools.pdf . One of the benefits of this new approach is that schools will have greater flexibility as to how they will deploy their resources.
Pupils with Specific Speech and Language Disorder (SSLD) may, therefore, attend a special class for pupils with SSLD with speech and language therapy services provided in class by the HSE or attend a mainstream school with additional teaching supports and speech and language therapy through the primary care service.
The Programme for a Partnership Government states that a new model of In-School Speech and Language Therapy will be established. It also contains a commitment to examine the adequacy of the present policies and provision, and their scope for improvement, particularly in relation to speech and language difficulties and early intervention.A joint working group, made up of the Department of Health, the Department of Education and Skills, the Health Service Executive and the National Council for Special Education, has been established to develop the proposed model. When finalised, the proposed model will represent a significant change in the way in which services are delivered.
