Children with special educational needs are identified through the professional assessment services. Psychological or medical reports will identify the nature and degree of disability or other special need involved. Such reports will also indicate the required response for the child concerned.
These assessment reports are usually made available, with parental consent, to the school the pupil attends or proposes to attend, together with the outcome of any reviews conducted by the appropriate assessment services and any relevant school reports. This procedure ensures that the needs of a child, moving from a special facility to an integrated setting, are known to the authorities in the ordinary school.
I would be seriously concerned if any special needs child, who was capable of functioning in an integrated setting, was to be refused admission to an ordinary school because of lack of funding to provide necessary facilities.
Where special needs children in integrated situations are concerned, the key funding requirement which might arise would relate to the child's need for special materials or equipment. In this connection, I would point out that my Department provides special grant assistance to schools for the purchase of such equipment.
If the Deputy has a particular case in mind, he may wish to provide details to my Department so that the matter can be investigated further.
