Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 October 2017
155. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to examine the treatment of pupils diagnosed with behavioural or learning difficulties in view of the fact that in many instances a diagnosis is given after a long period of time, with no follow-on treatment. [42915/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe policy of my Department is to ensure that all children with special educational needs, including children with behavioural or learning difficulties, can be provided with an education appropriate to their needs.
Where possible, provision is made for the inclusive education of children with special educational needs. My Department's policy is that students with special educational needs should be included where possible and appropriate in mainstream placements with additional supports provided.
In circumstances where children with special educational need require more specialised interventions, special school or special class places are provided for.
Funding for special education provision in 2017 will amount to some €1.68 billion, which is equivalent to approximately 19% of the gross overall current allocation for education and training and represents an increase in spending in this area of 12% over the last two years.
There are currently over 13,000 special educational needs teacher posts in mainstream primary and post-primary schools, which includes an additional 900 teaching posts provided to support the introduction of the new model for allocating Special Education Teaching Resources to mainstream primary and post-primary schools from September 2017.
This year, 13,990 Special Needs Assistants, SNAs, are available for allocation to primary and post-primary schools to the end of December, which is an increase of 32% in the number of posts available since 2011.
In addition, 169 new Special Classes have been opened for the 2016-17 school year, which means there are now over 1,300 special classes in place, compared to 548 special classes in 2011. Some 1,042 special classes cater for students diagnosed with ASD (including 103 Early Intervention ASD special classes), and 11 classes cater specifically for students diagnosed with severe emotional behavioural disorders.
Some 125 special schools also provide specialist education for those students with complex special educational needs.
Schools may seek advice from their local National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, psychologist, from the NCSE’s Support Service through the Special Educational Needs Organiser, SENO, or the National Behavioural Support Service, as to how children with behavioural needs can best be supported in school.
The Special Education Support Service, SESS, now also part of NCSE’s Support Service, provides continuing professional development, CPD, for teachers working with students with special educational needs, including training for teachers in the area of challenging behaviour, educational needs, including students diagnosed with severe behavioural disorders.
My Department’s National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, provides service to primary and post-primary schools countrywide. In general, schools may prioritise the service they receive from NEPS to support children with learning or behavioural difficulties. NEPS assists schools to identify needs, and appropriate interventions, to review the efficacy of these interventions and to adjust approaches used for these children, through the use of a student support planning process.
The provision of direct treatment or therapies to children does not lie within the remit of my Department, to teachers or NEPS psychologist, per se, but in fact to the range of therapeutic services provided by the HSE. It is to my colleague, the Minister for Health, therefore that I would advise that the Deputy’s question be directed in this regard.
