Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 December 2017
79. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which students with dyspraxia development co-ordination disorder are supported in classrooms in primary, secondary and third level institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51816/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere is a range of supports available in the education system to support pupils with special educational needs, including Dyspraxia/Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD).
A new model for allocating special education teachers has been introduced since September 2017. Under this new model, schools are frontloaded with a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching, in order to provide additional teaching support to all pupils who need such support, based on the profiled needs of their school.
This allocation allows schools to provide additional teaching support for all pupils who require such support in their schools and for schools to deploy resources based on each pupil’s individual learning needs.
All schools have therefore been allocated additional teaching support to cater for children with special educational needs, including pupils with Dyspraxia/DCD.
Schools now have greater discretion as to how they can distribute resources, based on the individual needs of pupils
This gives greater flexibility to schools as to how they can deploy their resources, to take account of the actual learning needs pupils have, as opposed to being guided by a particular diagnosis of disability, and schools are guided as to how they should make such allocation decisions.
The school will take account of learning needs as evidenced by performance in schools but also supported where relevant by information provided regarding the nature of a condition that a pupil may have.
My Department recently published guidelines for schools as to how they should utilise and deploy their resources under the new allocation model. These guidelines are available at
http://www.education.ie/en/The-Department/Announcements/Guidelines-for-Schools-Supporting-Children-with-Special-Educational-needs-in-Mainstream-Schools.html
The guidelines will support schools in how they identify pupils, including pupils with Dyspraxia/DCD for additional teaching support, and decide how much support to provide, taking into account the extent and severity of their needs.
Where pupils have care needs, which are so significant that they require additional adult support in order to attend school, they may be supported by Special Needs Assistants.
The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide recognised schools with additional adult support staff to cater for the care needs of pupils with disabilities in an educational context, in accordance with the criteria set out in my Departments Circular 30/2014.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating a quantum of SNA support for each school annually.
In circumstances where pupils with Dyspraxia/Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) have care needs to the extent that the school considers SNA support is required for them to attend, the school may apply to the NCSE for SNA support.
My Department also provides funding to schools towards the cost of assistive technology, for children with special educational needs which is essential for educational purposes, to assist children with special educational needs in Primary, Post Primary and Special schools, in accordance with the criteria set out in my Department's Circular 0010/2013.
Secondary school students with special needs may have special arrangements made for them while sitting State examinations such as the Leaving Certificate and Junior Certificate. Candidates with disabilities can apply through their school for reasonable accommodation during examinations.
Further details of supports is available from the State Examinations Commission (SEC) Reasonable Accommodations Section.
At third level, The National Office for Equity of Access to Third Level Education, within the Higher Education Authority (HEA), administers a number of access measures including the Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD), the purpose of which is to assist students with disabilities.
A range of supports are available at third level colleges to support students who have disabilities or special educational needs.
Details of the additional support and services that are available for pupils with medical conditions/disabilities at third level colleges will be provided by the Disability Officers at each college.
The supports which will be provided for pupils with special educational needs, including Dyspraxia/Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), will take account of the needs that each pupil has and the type of college or course that they are attending.
Students with disabilities or severe medical conditions should contact the Disability Office before the beginning of the academic year to find out what disability supports will be available to them and will need to discuss with the Disability/Access Officer in the college/university details of their needs based requirement in college.
