Special Educational Needs

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 May 2022

Wednesday, 25 May 2022

Questions (108)

Bríd Smith

Question:

108. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education when, the way and the reason that the National Council for Special Education’s new rule regarding professional reports advising on a suite of options for children with special needs in relation to their education will now no longer meet the criteria for enrolment in an ASD class; the consultation that took place in advance of this decision; if parents were consulted and advised of this change; if referring psychologists were consulted and made aware of the change; if her attention has been drawn to the pressure on existing services; the way that therapists will now find the time to amend already completed reports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26708/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) have advised that there have been no changes to the requirements for professional reports regarding special class or special school placements. The Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004 at Section (2) states that, “A child with special educational needs shall be educated in an inclusive environment with children who do not have such needs unless the nature or degree of those needs of the child is such that to do so would be inconsistent with (a) the best interests of the child as determined in accordance with any assessment carried out under this Act, or (b) the effective provision of education for children with whom the child is to be educated”.

In line with the legislation, and in order to access a special class, a student must have a report from a relevant professional or team of professionals (for example, psychologist, speech and language therapist, psychiatrist) stating that:

1. S/he has a disability (in line with the designation of the special class in question) and

2. S/he has complex or severe learning needs that require the support of a special class setting and the reasons why this is the case. The professional report must meet Department of Education requirements for the particular disability in question.

The NCSE has published Guidelines for Setting up and Organising Special Classes. The guidelines set out clearly how schools can set up and organise special classes, as part of a continuum of educational provision, for students with special educational needs, they can be viewed at: ncse.ie/special-class-guidelines

A guidance note for HSE clinicians sets out the requirements for professional reports to recommend a specific type of school placement – for example, mainstream, mainstream with supports, special class or special school placement. This guidance was last updated in 2021 following engagement with NCSE, NEPS and HSE personnel. The updating of this guidance note commenced in 2019 and was delayed due to the impact of COVID-19.