Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 December 2021
393. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department has considered introducing the see and learn programme into preschools that have children attending with Down's syndrome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59814/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department delivers the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), which is a programme of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. Its goal is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme and reap the benefits of quality early learning and care in any mainstream pre-school. AIM is based on the needs of the child in the context of the pre-school setting. It does not require any diagnosis, recognising that many children do not have a diagnosis of a disability when starting pre-school.
AIM has seven levels of supports, moving from universal supports (levels 1-3) to targeted supports (levels 4-7), based on the needs of the child and the pre-school setting they are attending.
Level 3 supports recognise the requirement to continue to develop a qualified workforce that can confidently meet the needs of all children participating in the ECCE programme. To ensure training provision within AIM remains relevant and effective, and to identify and respond to gaps in current training available under AIM, an inter-agency Training Working Group has been established.
Current training provision under AIM includes the Leadership for Inclusion programme; Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training; and courses on sensory processing (SPEL), Hanen and Lámh. Hanen (Teacher Talk) provides early years professionals with core strategies to create a stimulating language learning environment for young children. Since 2018, 2,341 early years professionals have completed this training under AIM level 3. Lámh is a manual sign system which supports enhanced communication between practitioners and children with intellectual / communication needs. Since 2018, 1,032 early years professionals, from 565 early learning and care settings, have completed this training. The AIM Training Working Group continues to review and advise on training courses supported through AIM.
