Olwyn Enright
Ceist:224 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the procedures he intends to put in place to ensure that every child with autism will be reviewed by an educational psychologist. [19226/02]
Vol. 555 No. 5
224 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the procedures he intends to put in place to ensure that every child with autism will be reviewed by an educational psychologist. [19226/02]
Autistic children require a spectrum of psychological services ranging from initial diagnosis to ongoing support and monitoring of progress. My Department recognises that both clinical and educational psychologists have a role to play in the provision of these services.
Three years ago, my Department established the national educational psychological service, NEPS, which is mandated to provide an educational psychological service for all schools, giving priority to children with special educational needs, such as autism. The initial assessment of young children with autistic spectrum disorders is normally made by the relevant health services. The NEPS will ensure, through the inter-agency professional co-operation recommended in a recent NEPS-health boards' report, that its psychologists are made aware of children with autistic spectrum disorders as they enter schools. The educational psychologists can then plan to monitor and review the progress of such children as necessary. When the NEPS service has reached its full strength, it will be available to all autistic children in the educational system.
225 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the procedures the national educational psychological service have put in place to ensure that every child with autism receives an individual educational plan after initial assessment. [19227/02]
The NEPS is fully committed to co-operating with other agencies in implementing the recommendations of the report of the task force on autism. An internal NEPS working group has been established to develop a strategy in relation to the assessment, review and support of children with autistic spectrum disorders. The agency is currently implementing a major programme of continuing professional development in the area of autism for its psychologists, and one of the components of the programme is the development of individual educational plans. Five NEPS psychologists are currently participating in a postgraduate course in autistic spectrum disorders sponsored by the University of Birmingham. The NEPS also maintains close links with colleagues working in the autism area in Northern Ireland. A joint North-South conference for educational psychologists on the subject of autism is planned for spring 2003.
Health board child and family centres or designated health board regional autistic spectrum disorder services are currently charged with providing the multidisciplinary diagnostic assessment for any child suspected of having an autistic spectrum disorder. The report of the task force on autism envisages that the health board clinical psychologist will play a key role in the process of drawing up the statutory assessment of educational needs. Individual education plans are best developed through the collaborative efforts of all those directly involved with the student, including teachers, parents and other professionals concerned. Teachers should have the lead role in devising and implementing individual education plans, with support from NEPS psychologists and other professionals involved. The NEPS will, therefore, work collaboratively with teachers, parents, clinical psychologists and other professionals involved in devising appropriate individual education plans and in the subsequent monitoring of progress and the effectiveness of the IEP.
226 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science when he intends to implement the task force report on autism; and the steps he has taken in this regard. [19228/02]
227 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science his plans to ensure the right to an education for autistic children, as enshrined in the O'Donoghue judgment, is put in place. [19229/02]
240 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans he is putting in place in his Department to deal with the projected growth in the prevalence of autistic spectrum disorder. [19242/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 226, 227 and 240 together.