Thomas Byrne
Question:458. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a special autism unit will be set up in a school (details supplied). [1952/18]
View answerTuesday, 16 January 2018
Questions (458)
Written answers
My Department’s policy is that children with special educational needs including those with Autism, should be included in mainstream placements with additional supports provided, unless such a placement would not be in their best interests or in the interests of the children with whom they are to be educated, as is provided for under Section 2 of the Education of Persons with Special Needs Act 2004.
Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range of appropriate educational interventions, delivered by fully qualified professional teachers, with the support of Special Needs Assistants and the appropriate school curriculum.
Some children may be supported in a special class attached to a mainstream school which offers a supportive learning environment to students who are unable to access the curriculum in a mainstream class. These students have the option, where appropriate, of full/partial integration and interaction with other students.
Other children may have such complex needs that the recommendation in their professional reports state that they are best placed in a special school.
Decisions about placement should be based on individual needs and take into account a number of factors including parental wishes, availability of evidence-based treatments and well-trained staff and individual factors such as targets for intervention and management of behaviours.
There is therefore not one preferred educational environment for children with special educational needs, rather there is a model which takes into account the assessed educational needs of individual students.
Students enrolling in Special Classes must have a report from a relevant professional or team of professionals (for example, psychologist, speech and language therapist, psychiatrist) stating that:
- S/he has a disability (in line with the designation of the special class in question) and
- S/he has significant learning needs that require the support of a special class setting and the reasons why this is the case.
The National Council for Special Education(NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), in consultation with the relevant education partners, is responsible for the establishment of special classes to support children with Special Educational Needs, including Autism, in various geographical areas where there is an identified need.
The NCSE, in looking to open special classes, must take into account the present and future potential need for such classes, taking particular account of the educational needs of the children concerned. The NCSE will also take account of location and sustainability in looking to establish special classes in certain areas.
My Department continues to work with the NCSE to ensure that there is appropriate planning in place to ensure that all children who require special class placements can access such placements in schools within their communities.
In the case of existing schools, where a school is not in a position to accommodate a special class within its existing accommodation, it is open to the school to submit an application to the Department for capital funding to (i) re-configure existing spaces within the school building to accommodate the class or (ii) to construct additional accommodation.
I am aware that the NCSE has approached the school referred to by the Deputy to establish a special class for the coming school year and that my Department is currently reviewing the accommodation needs for the school.