Educating for a Better Future:

Summary of proceedings of the 2004 seminar series “Living, Learning and

Working with Special Educational

Needs”

National Disability Authority

Contents

1. Foreword 4

2. Spring Seminar: Identifying and responding to Special 6 Education Needs

3. Summer Seminar: Special Education Needs provision 10 for children under six

4. Autumn Seminar: National organisations working with 15 Special Education Needs

5. Inside I’m Dancing: Including children with Special 21 Education Needs

6. The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs 26 Act 2004: Future directions in the education for persons with Special Education Needs

7. List of Papers 30 1. Foreword

Two significant pieces of legislation to promote the participation of children with special educational needs in mainstream schools have been enacted during the past few years: The Education Act, 1998, and the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, 2004.

The 1998 Act states that the Minister for Education and Science must “ensure that there is made available to each person resident in the State, including a person with a disability or who has other special educational needs, support services and a level and quality of education appropriate to meeting the needs and abilities of that person”.

The 2004 Act commits the State to make further provision so that students with special educational needs have the same educational rights as other children. Educational plans for children with special educational needs must be developed and reviewed annually. Health Boards now also have a statutory role in supporting the education of persons with special educational needs. Alongside these legislative developments, there has been an increase in the resources provided to the sector, with significant increases in the numbers of resource teachers and special needs assistants employed to support students with special educational needs.

It was timely therefore that National Disability Authority (NDA) organised and hosted a series of four seminars on special education in 2004.

The spring seminar focused on home and school issues. “Learning to make do won’t do” was the title of one paper. This part of the seminar considered the impact of socio-economic disadvantage and special educational needs on families and on the schooling experience. The later sessions addressed identifying special educational needs through the school psychological services and responding to special educational needs at school.

The summer seminar addressed the issue of provision for children under six who have special education needs. Current services and the framework for early learning across all early childhood settings were discussed. The seminar included papers from the Centre for Early Childhood Development & Education and the National Council for Curriculum Assessment. The autumn seminar examined State organisations that are contributing to special education. Three newly established organisations, the National Council for Special Education, the Special Education Support Services and the National Educational Welfare Board, made presentations.

Finally, in October, twenty-five children and their teachers from four different schools were invited to participate in a book reading and discussion, to mark Children’s Book Festival 2004. Children with special educational needs along with children without special educational needs attended this event, exemplifying how children with different needs can learn in an inclusive setting.

The document concludes with an overview of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004.

Dr A Kerins Chairperson 2. Spring Seminar: Identifying and responding to special educational needs

Held on the 30th March 2004 The early part of this seminar addressed the extent to which poverty overlaps poor educational attainment. The “Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill”, precursor to the 2004 Act, was also discussed. The second part of the day focused on the process of identifying and assessing special needs in primary schools and how this work translates into practice in schools.

Paper 1: Learning to ‘make do’ won’t do. John Monaghan, National Vice President, St Vincent de Paul Society

This paper highlighted how the struggle to pay educational expenses on an inadequate income can affect educational performance. Where economic disadvantage and special educational needs co-exist, the challenge is increased.

The paper’s main findings were based on a survey conducted by St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) of its volunteer members, the families who receive SVP support and teachers. Each group had a different perspective on the issue thereby creating a very rich, insightful picture.

While there were differences in priority and emphasis in a number of areas from each of the three groups, there was general agreement on what is needed to address educational disadvantage. One of the key suggestions from the survey was for more support for parents and teachers and increased funding for schools in order to reduce the pupil/teacher ratio and enable schools to attract and retain dedicated/skilled teachers. A further proposal was for an increase in specialised educational services such as breakfast, homework and after-school clubs, psychological services, home school community liaison, learning support, special needs, counselling and guidance support.

The main conclusion from the SVP study, taken from the experience of members, was that tackling educational disadvantage, especially in households with inadequate income, must start at pre- school or early primary school at the latest. Many children who experience educational disadvantage leave school early. The study concludes that the way to address early school leaving is to take action early. Doing something sooner rather than later has benefits for all involved – the child, his or her family, the teacher, the school, the community, and the economy.

Paper 2: Discussion of the “Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2003”. Mary Meaney, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Advisor, National Disability Authority

The key elements of the Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill, which after its passage through the Oireachtas became the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004, were outlined in this paper. The Act is summarised in the final section of this document.

Paper 3: Identifying and assessing special educational needs Trevor James, Psychologist, National Educational Psychological Service

In this paper the process of identifying and assessing special needs in primary schools was outlined. It has a three-stage approach. The first stage is where the teacher has concerns and undertakes informal assessment of the child. If found necessary, a plan for the child is developed which is reviewed after two terms. The second stage is when a learning support teacher is engaged. S/he follows a remedial plan which is reviewed after one term. If there are concerns about the child’s ability to learn, the final stage is undertaken, when a psychological assessment is undertaken by an outside specialist.

The purpose of the process is to identify the nature of the child’s learning difficulty, to provide evidence of eligibility for special provision, to advise teachers and parents on remedial strategies and to provide useful information to a help diagnosis. A review component should also be included in the process.

After an assessment, a report is typically sent to the parents of the child and the school involved, outlining the needs, strategies and resources. If appropriate, a referral is made of the child to another school. Alternatively the original school applies to the Department of Education and Science for additional resources, which the Department must verify and may sanction. There is nearly always a waiting time involved. At the end of this process an individual educational plan is drawn up. Paper 4: Responding to special educational needs at school Deirdre O’Connor, Irish National Teachers’ Organisation

This paper set out the practical considerations in primary schools when responding to a child’s special educational needs.

The pupil teacher ratio recommended for a range of special needs was explained. For mild/borderline general learning disability the pupil teacher ratio is 11:1. However this ratio is often expressed as the number of hours a pupil is given with a resource teacher per week. A ratio of 11:1 translates as two and a half hours per school week. The resource teaching allocation for the child is usually on a one to one basis. For the rest of the time, the child participates with his/her class and the class teacher.

Four key elements in responding to children with special needs were highlighted. They are:

1. The transfer of children with special needs to post-primary schools and the information relating to their special educational needs;

2. The implications of inclusion for special schools and the risk of loss of the expertise of special school teachers;

3. The backlog in applications for resource teaching allocation;

4. The basis for future allocation of resources and, more specifically, the proposed move to a ‘weighted model’ based on predicted incidence of disabilities in the general population, rather than allocation on the basis of individual need.

Questions and answers A number of key themes and issues emerged in the questions and answers session, in response to the papers presented. n Addressing the need

Speakers highlighted the need to address the deficits in special needs education promptly and with a focus on the children involved. The strict eligibility criteria and the amount of resources assigned were viewed as problematic.

n Transition from primary to secondary school

It was argued that there is presently a lack of connections between primary and secondary schooling in general, but especially for children with special needs. The need for support and effective communication, co-operation and co-ordination at all levels between primary and secondary schools, in order to manage the transition and transfer of knowledge about the child to the new school, was discussed. It was felt that the designated new school should help the child settle in to a new and different environment.

n Inclusive education

While participants generally accepted the philosophy of inclusive education, some disadvantages, such as a loss of expertise of special schools/special teachers, were identified. Suggestions made to ease the implementation of inclusive education included dual enrolment in special and mainstream schools; reverse integration; and the tailoring of new and existing facilities, for example by operating special education on the same campus as for other children but utilising a different part of the campus.

n The changing role of teachers

Participants noted the continual expansion of the role of teachers. Time pressure to do new tasks leads to a trade-off between class time and the planning and organising of welfare services. This changing role relies heavily on the goodwill of the teacher and the availability of relevant training for teachers. 3. Summer Seminar: Special educational needs provision for children under six years of age.

Held on the 13th July 2004 Papers were presented on the work of the Centre for Early Childhood Development & Education (CECDE) and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in this seminar.

Paper 1: Focus on early childhood care and education Jacqueline Fallon, Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education

In early 2001, the Minister for Education and Science asked the Dublin Institute of Technology and St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, to jointly establish the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education (CECDE). CECDE was launched in October 2002 to develop and co-ordinate early childhood care and education in pursuance of the objectives of the White Paper Ready to Learn (Department of Education and Science, 1999).

The Centre is intended as the pre-runner to the country’s first Early Childhood Education Agency. Towards this end, its key functions are to:

n Develop a national framework for quality for early childhood care and education; n Develop targeted interventions on a pilot basis for children who are educationally disadvantaged and children with special educational needs;

n Provide policy advice to the Minister for Education and Science; n Prepare the groundwork for the establishment of an early childhood education agency as envisaged by the White Paper.

The Centre is concerned with all children from birth to six years old. This means that early education is being given specific policy attention and that the educational grey area between age four, when many children actually enter primary school, and age six, when they reach compulsory school going age, is given particular attention. Central to CECDE’s work is the view that care and education are not two separate entities, as many believe they have been regarded in Ireland up to now. It is CECDE’s view that the two are indivisible.

National Framework for Quality Work on the Centre’s first objective, the production of a National Framework for Quality (NFQ) for early childhood care and education, is nearing completion. Within the NFQ, three distinct elements will be identified. Firstly a set of standards will define what is understood as quality for children in the Irish context. Secondly a system of inspection or assessment will be devised to ensure that quality is achieved and maintained. Finally an infrastructure will be devised and implemented to support all those working in early childhood care and education.

Three key pillars or strands will underpin the National Framework for Quality, thus ensuring its suitability to the Irish context. The first, a conceptual framework on how young children in Ireland develop and learn, has been published. The second pillar is ongoing specific research focusing on quality in Ireland and the international context. This will distil best policy and practice nationally and internationally in relation to quality. Finally, CECDE held six consultative seminars with a range of people involved in the early childhood care and education sectors. The report on this consultation process, Talking About Quality, was published in early 2004.

First Audit of Research CECDE has also carried out the first ever audit of children under six’s learning patterns in Ireland. The main aim of the research, which examined 1,082 wide-ranging publications, was to assess “what was out there, where the gaps were and what needs to be done.”

Within the area of special needs, n 125 documents were included in the audit, including 49 documents specific to educational intervention and development;

n 24 on general disability; n 22 Government policy documents; n 3 relating to inclusion and integration; n 17 on intellectual disabilities and n 10 relating to physical and sensory disability.

All data collated is now available as a searchable database at the Centre, which can be contacted at 01-8842110 or www.cecde.ie.

On Target? The CECDE has also carried out On Target? This is an audit of services targeting disadvantage and special needs from birth to age six. The primary aim of this audit was, again, to get a clearer picture of the situation in Ireland at present so that there is better planning and provision of essential services for children from disadvantaged backgrounds and for children with special educational needs.

One of the key findings of the audit was the need for a National Access Strategy to identify disadvantage and special educational needs as soon as is possible after birth. Another key finding was that it was virtually impossible to get access to information about all the services available on disadvantage and special needs.

The audit also showed that there was a lack of co-ordination between government departments dealing with disadvantage and special needs; that there was no definitive criteria for targeting disadvantage; and that there was particular difficulty in accessing supports for both disadvantage and special educational needs even though many previous research projects had shown that there was often a close correlation between the two.

Paper 2: Towards a framework for early learning Arlene Foster, National Council for Curriculum Assessment

Towards a framework for early learning, which was launched on March 29, 2004, was described as a milestone for the National Council for Curriculum Assessment (NCCA). While the responsibility of the NCCA is to advise the Minister in matters relating to the curriculum for early childhood education, primary and post-primary schools, this consultative document really marked the Council’s first specific focus on learning throughout early childhood from birth to age six.

During the formative years from birth to age six, children lay the foundations for later learning and subsequent life opportunities. Experiences during these years shape them as learners. They learn language and how to use it; they learn to think, to interact with others, and to express their ideas, thoughts and feelings. Supporting and nurturing this early learning is critical for children to avail of the tremendous opportunities early childhood can offer in helping them realise their individual potential as learners.

The NCCA believes that the final framework will only be successful if it mirrors as closely as possible the needs of Irish children and those who care for, and educate, them specifically. Towards a framework for early learning is viewed as a stepping stone towards this and is being used as the basis for wider consultation with the early childhood sector on a final framework.

All those involved in and/or who have an interest in early learning were invited to return response forms to the consultative document before the end of July 2004. They were also invited to make written submissions on the proposed framework before mid-September 2004, giving them an opportunity to outline their proposals and ideas in more detail. In addition, the NCCA held four regional seminars during June 2004 at which interested parties were encouraged to voice their opinions on the proposed framework.

Importantly, the design of the document itself was based on consultation. Developmental input was received from relevant and interested persons and groups as well as the advice of the multi- disciplinary members of the Early Childhood Technical Working Group. In addition, the consultative document was based on two years of research into how children learn.

Supporting Children to Learn Towards a framework for early learning identifies and discusses key ideas central to the development of a national framework. It draws attention to principles that inform us of how children can be best supported to learn, while respecting their individuality as young learners. It also proposes a thematic approach to the development of the final framework with learning being presented through four themes: n Well-being: ensuring that the child is content and happy; n Identity and belonging: ensuring that the child has a positive image of who he/she is; n Communication: promoting and supporting children in expressing themselves; n Exploring and thinking: getting children to ask why we do things the way we do.

The Final Framework - Enriching, Challenging and Enjoyable. The purpose of the final framework is to provide all children, including children with special educational needs, with appropriately enriching, challenging and enjoyable learning opportunities.

The framework will cater for diversity amongst children, allowing for decisions on learning experiences to be taken where the children are actually being educated or cared for. Children will be allowed to learn and develop at a pace that is suited to their own pace of development, abilities and needs. The framework will be designed to cater for three overlapping phases in a child’s development, spanning birth to 18 months, 12 months to 3 years, and 21/2 to 6 years.

When completed, it will be relevant to a range of early childhood settings from the home to play schools to the first years of primary education. It is being designed for use by all those responsible for the learning and development of children from birth to six. This includes parents, guardians, child minders and practitioners working in child care settings outside the home from creches to parent and toddler groups, to after-school and hospital settings.

Towards a framework for early learning is available on the NCCA website at www.ncca.ie. An interim report on the responses and submissions made during the consultative process was launched on December 9th, 2004. The final framework is to be completed by 2006.

4. Autumn seminar: National organisations working with special educational needs.

Held on September 28, 2004 The autumn seminar focused on three newly established organisations: the National Council for Special Education, the Special Education Support Service and the National Educational Welfare Board. This seminar examined the roles, remit and structure of these organisations and provided an understanding of how each of these groups can help parents, schools, and children with special needs.

Paper 1: The National Council for Special Education Sé Goulding, National Council for Special Education.

The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, 2004 provides for the establishment of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

The 2004 Act (Section 2) also provides for the inclusion of children with special needs into mainstream school where appropriate. There are various levels of integration. Full integration occurs when the child is in mainstream school all day and every day. Level integration occurs when the child is taken out of their class during the day for resource teaching but primarily s/he spends most of the day with the base class. Special units within the school provide a child who has special needs with a separate learning area. Finally there are special schools. These are specialised schools for children with special educational needs only.

The Act outlines assessments as an evaluation and a statement of the nature and extent of disability and an evaluation and a statement of the services required to cater for the child’s special educational needs. Persons including education and health professionals, medical practitioners, psychologists, school principals, and or teachers may conduct these assessments.

Assessment of the Child’s Special Educational Needs Where after assessment, the special educational needs of the child are identified an education plan is prepared. The objective of the plan is to determine the level of resources required to help the child to benefit from his/her education; to address the level and deployment of available resources; and to review such a plan in due course to gauge its effectiveness. The NCSE works with both the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Health and Children to establish a plan of action.

Role of the NCSE The immediate role of the NCSE is to prepare an implementation plan of the Act for the next five years. In the plan, NCSE is required to identify resources needed to implement the Act efficiently and to address the assessment needs. In doing so, the NCSE also provides for a consultative process with service providers, voluntary bodies and other relevant groups. The NCSE must put all processes in place to reflect the requirements of the Act. The council also has an advisory role to the minister on policies and frameworks regarding special education. This is to ensure that there is a coherent approach for children with special educational needs.

Special Education Appeals Board As part of the Act, a Special Education Appeals Board is also established to adjudicate on appeals, complaints and disputes from parents, boards of management and principals.

The appeals board is an independent body appointed by the minister. Its main purpose is to assist parties in resolving disputes.

Mediation Service The goal is to resolve any issues by means other than resort to the courts.

Immediate Plans The headquarters of the NCSE are located in Trim, Co. Meath. The council is currently recruiting special education needs officers, with a goal to providing officers throughout the country. All officers must complete the training provided. This includes training from the Department of Education and Science, the NCSE, the Department of Health and Children, schools, voluntary and service organisations, parent groups and all other relevant groups. These officers will work with the schools and children with special educational needs to identify the requirements and locate resources to provide a meaningful education. Support Services

Paper 2: The Purpose, organisation and future work of the Special Education Support Service Joan Crowley O’Sullivan, Special Education Support Service

The Department of Education and Science established the Special Education Support Service (SESS) in September 2003. It is a nation-wide support service, serving mainstream primary and post-primary schools, special schools and special classes. The three main objectives of the SESS are:

1. To enhance the quality of teaching and learning with particular reference to the education of children with special educational needs;

2. To consolidate and co-ordinate existing professional development and support and

3. To design and deliver a range of professional development initiatives and supports for school personnel in particular teachers and special needs assistants.

The Purpose of the SESS The Special Education Support Service works towards providing quality support services. It provides a service to all teachers working with children with special educational needs. It facilitates equity of access to further professional development and encourages collaboration and co-operation among government departments, teachers’ trade unions, service providers and education centres The Organisation of the SESS The SESS consists of representatives from the Department of Education and Science, the SESS Steering Committee, the National Co-ordinator, the Assistant National Co-ordinators and Associate Members.

The associate members of the SESS consist of a team of teachers with expertise in a number of priority areas. The priority areas identified by the SESS for 2004 are: special educational needs at second level, autism, dyslexia and challenging behaviour in special educational settings. These priority areas where determined through research and consultation with relevant groups. The SESS hopes to move forward to other areas in due course.

The SESS provides supports to teachers in four areas. Firstly, there is the local initiative scheme. The scheme allows teachers to identify their own area for development. The teachers can request funding for courses to further their professional development. Secondly, the SESS strategy for support provision, based on the four priority areas, is a series of teaching seminars and conferences for teachers. SESS also works with third-level institutions to design training courses to support teachers and the associate members. Additionally, the SESS encourages cross border learning. It facilitates an exchange programme with teachers in Northern Ireland.

In addition to these schemes, SESS also conducts school visits, funds accredited courses, provides telephone and email support and creates a web portal to house all vital information for support services.

Paper 3: The purpose, organisation and future work of the National Educational Welfare Board Frank Smith, Geraldine McLean, National Educational Welfare Board

The general aim of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 is to provide a comprehensive, national system to ensure that children of compulsory school-going age attend school or, if they do not attend school, that they receive at least a minimum education. The Act seeks to ensure that every child between the ages of six and sixteen is registered in a recognised school or with the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) if they are attending a non-recognised school or avail of home education. The definition of recognised school refers to all schools funded by the state. For those enrolled in private primary schools, it is the parent’s responsibility to register their children with the National Educational Welfare Board. The NEWB also recognises the rights of parents, stated in the constitution, to educate their children in an environment other than in a school. If the child is educated at home, the NEWB must assess the home education to ensure that it reaches the minimum level required by the Act.

There are guidelines published by the Department of Education and Science on the assessment of education provided by home education. The main priority of the NEWB is the education welfare of the child and to ensure that children between the ages of six and sixteen receive the minimum level of education.

The National Education Welfare Board interacts with schools at many levels and areas. When necessary, the NEWB reviews the school’s admissions policy, code of behaviour, special needs policy, suspension and expulsion policy, anti-bullying policy, attendance records and any other areas where it may affect a child’s attendance in school.

Organisation of the NEWB The structure of the NEWB consists of the NEWB Board, a Chief Executive, Director of Corporate Services (including functions such as Human Resources, Finance and Facilities), and Director of Educational Services. The NEWB Board consists of representatives from government departments such as the Department of Health and Children, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, teachers’ unions, school management boards and parents.

The coverage of the Board extends over 5 major regions covering the whole of the Republic. The regions include Dublin City, Leinster South, Munster, West Northwest, and Leinster North. Each Board is also further linked into the RAPID disadvantage areas and areas with high school-going population. Together these determine the analysis of the regions into intensive areas (Dublin, Cork and Waterford) and urgent service areas (those outside the intense areas).

The Role of the Education Welfare Officers In order to achieve an effective regional structure, there are regional managers, senior educational welfare officers, educational welfare officers, and clerical officers. The educational welfare officers in each region work collaboratively with the schools in their area. They also assist parents and the child, to ensure attendance and the acquisition of the minimum education recommended. In some cases where a pupil is suspended, the NEWB assists payment to hire a home teacher.

In carrying out their duties, the educational welfare officers must work within the confines of the national guidelines, be welfare driven and use litigation as a last resort. Some of the day-to-day issues faced by the welfare officers include suspension, expulsion, refusal of the child to attend school, unexplained absences, a refusal by the school to enrol the child and the issue of the provision of services for children with special educational needs. They constantly balance the child’s rights, needs and the resources available to facilitate them. Currently the NEWB is seeking to demonstrate that there is a need for more education welfare officers. In response to the large amount of requests and calls from schools and parents, the NEWB has set up a low-call service to handle these queries.

The NEWB Priorities The NEWB’s priorities are to finance extra posts, concentrate on the disadvantaged areas, establish guidelines for schools on attendance issues, establish protocols, disseminate information, and develop a strategic plan.

The NEWB hopes to work co-operatively with all relevant parties. This will entail the sharing of information and best practice, conducting relevant research, facilitating mutual co-operation and establishing efficient processes to realise its aims. 5. Inside I’m reading: Including children with special educational needs

NDA Seminar held on 15th October, in association with Children’s Books Ireland Children’s author Siobhan Parkinson, twenty-five children and their teachers from four different schools, including schools for children with special educational needs, and representatives from the National Council of the Blind of Ireland came together to mark the Children’s Book Festival.

Does a boy who stops talking cause even more problems for himself? Does a mother who fusses over her child really care? Do puppies have ghosts? These and other big questions were addressed at a unique educational event held at the NDA on the 15th October to mark Children’s Book Festival 2004. There was a special atmosphere in the Pavilion Room where balloons took the place of slide shows and a goody bag was handed out to each participant rather than a statistical report.

The children’s author Siobhan Parkinson, school children and their teachers, including children with hearing impairments and representatives from the National Council of the Blind of Ireland attended this very enjoyable morning. The event included a book reading; a wide and varied questions and answers session; information on the different reading formats available for people who have sight impairments and a book signing by Siobhan of one of her books that had been presented to each of the children present.

Book Reading

Siobhan Parkinson is a children’s writer of repute, with more than twelve children’s novels published by O’Brien Press. Most of her writing is for the ten to twelve year age group, although she has also written for the six to nine age group. Before becoming a writer she worked as an editor. She has held many writing residencies and is currently co-editor of Inis – The Children’s Books Ireland Magazine. According to Siobhan’s profile she is not a cross-channel swimmer and her favourite place is bed. Siobhan read two extracts from recent novels. The first extract, from Siobhan’s novel Moon King, told the story of a boy called Ricky. Ricky has a problem that is left unidentified. Because of this problem he is moved to a foster home. Previously he lived in an environment where he was the only child. Now he is placed in a situation where there are lots of other children. In response to the trauma of his problem, his dislocation and the overwhelmed feelings in this large family environment, he decides to stop talking. However this coping mechanism causes many more problems.

Helen, one of Ricky’s new family, meets him on the pathway in the garden of his house, but won’t let him pass until he says, “excuse me”. This is exactly the thing Ricky will not do because he refuses to speak. The extract was brought to life by Siobhan’s reading and the interpretation by a sign language interpreter.

Most of the audience was on Ricky’s side, even though Ricky hit out at Helen and even though their mother punished them both. The group discussed how clever bullies often target the person’s weak points, thereby maximising the hurt. While all were agreed that it is an adult’s role to teach children not to be violent, there was general agreement that maybe it wasn’t so bad for Ricky to express his frustration and act out in the way he did.

Siobhan’s second reading was from her newest unpublished, untitled novel. It is a story of a boy called Mark, his vivid imagination and the attempt by his mother to control it. While Mark imagines his tree house as a great ocean liner, sailing through wild and choppy seas and spying distant lands through his telescope, his mother sees a cardboard box balanced precariously up a tree. The audience heard how Mark’s mother wished that Mark would play with a Wendy House rather than his tree house. The story shows how parental neglect comes in many forms, including an over-fussy mother attempting to impose her own will on her child.

Siobhan really connected to the audience, perhaps because the material is just right for pre- adolescents needing to trust their own instincts but who feel undermined by bossy adults.

‘“Mark, you’re impossible”, his mother said. “No I’m not, I’m possible” thought Mark” – a very helpful thought for children embarking on the first steps into adulthood and seeking a space in which to express themselves. Questions and Answers

It seemed that everybody in the audience had a question to ask about Siobhan’s books and about the process of writing. Audience members from two schools, which educate children with hearing impairments, were very inquisitive. Their questions were facilitated by an interpreter and this ensured they were included in the discussion.

The first question was “What is your favourite book?” to which Siobhan replied with a question of her own. “Have you brothers and sisters?”, she asked. “Well, suppose you asked your parents which child they liked the most, what do think they would say? This is how I feel about my books. I love them all but for different reasons”.

There was also a big discussion as to how long it takes to write a book. Siobhan replied that although she releases one book a year, the length of time varies. For her, a book can take three years or sometimes only a few weeks to write.

One audience member wanted to know if Siobhan enjoyed writing as a child. She replied that she loved to write and if an assignment asked for two pages, she would write ten. The audience also wanted to know when she started writing. She replied that although she has been writing all her life, she started to dedicate herself to writing in her mid-thirties. It was a scary thing to embark on, she said. One leaves oneself open to rejection.

In response to many other questions it was elicited that Siobhan’s favourite author is Jane Austen, an author not yet known to any of the younger members of the audience and she has many favourite children’s authors. She worked as an editor before writing full time. She doesn’t exactly know where she gets her ideas. Normally she writes one sentence, then another and then another, one idea flowing to the next. However things that interest her come out in her books. She doesn’t believe in writer’s block. Her biggest selling book is “Sisters No Way”. When discussing the title of one of Siobhan’s most popular books “Animals don’t have ghosts”, it was argued by some members of the audience that while beetles and ladybirds don’t have ghosts, puppies may have them. However this was not an argument that could be confirmed or denied.

One member of the audience asked whether she would write a ghost story. Siobhan replied that actually she is easily scared herself and that she prefers real situations and real people.

Finally, one child asked why Siobhan started to write and read so much. Siobhan explained that her eyesight is very poor. When she was younger she was never able to play games. That’s why she sat inside a lot and read. This is just something that happens in your life, she said, which influences you to follow a particular path.

Presentation by the National Council for the Blind of Ireland Librarians from the National Council for the Blind of Ireland explained about their library and the work they do. Because most of their library members can’t read normal print and some have severe sight impairments, they offer larger print books, Braille books, books on cassette with special players and special screen readers. They also have their own recording studio where authors can come and record their books in audio formats.

Again there was lots of audience interaction. One member of the audience wanted to know whether it is hard to feel Braille. One of the librarians explained that while it is better to start young, anyone can learn to read Braille. It depends most importantly on the sensitivity of one’s fingers.

Another child wanted to know how long it takes to read a Braille book compared to a regular book. The reply given was that for a person experienced in using Braille, it is approximately the same length of time as for someone with sight-reading a regular book.

As to whether they have lots and lots of different formatted books, Rebecca and Carol explained that they do and that their library is now too small to hold their full collection.

The Children’s Book Festival is now in its fourteenth year. It covers every town in Ireland and lasts for two and a half weeks during the month of October. One of the main aims of the festival is to be as accessible as possible, communicating to children the rewards of reading. Besides the NDA event, the festival will visit a number of children’s hospitals and an Irish language day was scheduled.

As the Children’s Book Fest noted, “books are portable and personal, and for some people, they can be an important means of connecting to a bigger consciousness and countering the alienation they may feel”. 6. The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004: Explaining the Act

The President signed the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act into law in July 2004.

The Act does a number of things: 1. It sets out the aims and expected outcomes of education for persons with special educational needs.

2. It outlines key elements of the process by which these ends are to be achieved.

3. It describes the structures for implementing the provisions of the Act and establishes a new body, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

4. It provides for appeals procedures in relation to decisions about the education of persons with special educational needs and establishes an Appeals Board.

The key words in the title of the Act are ‘education’, ‘person’ and ‘special educational needs’. The Act does not define education or person but does define the term ‘child’ as ‘a person not more than eighteen years of age’. ‘Special educational needs’ means a ‘restriction in the capacity of the person to participate in and benefit from education on account of an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or learning disability or any other condition, which results in a person learning differently from a person without that condition’. The main focus of the Act is directed towards early education, first and second levels, with a few brief references to further and adult education.

The Aims and Outcomes The Act acknowledges that persons with special educational needs have the same right to education as their peers without special educational needs. The legislation aims to ensure that children with special educational needs will be enabled to leave school with the skills necessary to participate, to the level of their ability, in society and to live independent lives.

Education is to be ‘inclusive’ unless there are specific reasons why a specialised placement is required for a child. This might happen, firstly, where inclusive education would not be in the best interests of the child concerned; or secondly, where the inclusion of the child with special educational needs would be inconsistent with the effective provision of education for the children with whom s/he is to be educated.

The Act highlights the role of parents in education. Parents are to be consulted about their child’s assessment, the child’s education, kept informed of the child’s progress and involved on the team for preparing an education plan.

An educational plan is a key element in the child’s progress through the education system. The plan is to be prepared by a team including the parents, the teacher, the child and other professionals. Reviews are to occur annually and amendments made to the plan where appropriate.

The Process of Education The need to identify children who may have a special educational need and to address those needs is a central element of the Act. There is a number of assessment processes envisaged. These include assessment on an in-school basis, assessment by a health board and assessment at the direction of the NCSE. Where special educational needs are identified, an education plan is to be drawn up for the child and schools will be entitled to additional resources and supports to assist in the implementation of the plan. The plan is to be reviewed regularly and the parents and special educational needs organisers are to receive reports about the child’s progress.

The Act assigns the principal of a school an important role in the education of children with special educational needs. S/he has duties in the identification of children who may have special educational needs, in taking steps to address these needs, in arranging for assessments, in consulting parents, in preparing, in implementing and reviewing an education plan and in making arrangements for transfer/ transition from one school to another. The Act also makes provision for parents to notify the principal that they are of the opinion that their child is not benefiting from the education provided in the school to the extent that would be expected and in turn the principal is required to take appropriate steps to address the needs of the child. Where a child is not a student, the relevant health board is generally responsible for the assessment. Where special educational needs are confirmed, the health board informs the council of the child’s needs and a plan is then developed at the direction of the council.

At various stages in the process there are opportunities to refer disputes to the Appeals Board. Various parties, including parents, boards of management, health boards and the council, may bring an appeal or seek resolution of a dispute.

The New Structures The Act provides for three major changes to current structures. In the first place, the Department of Education and Science currently has responsibility for special education. This will evolve as the provisions of the Act come into effect. Three ministers, the Ministers for Education and Science, for Health and Children and for Finance will have roles and must take government policy into account in discharging special education responsibilities.

Secondly, the NCSE will be established. Much of the work currently undertaken by the Department of Education will be transferred to the NCSE. One of the new developments is that the council has the power to designate a particular school for a child, taking into account the needs of the child, the wishes of the parents and the capacity of the school to accommodate the child and meet his/her needs including the capacity of the school to meet the child’s needs with additional supports and resources. The council employs special educational needs organisers who will work at various locations around the country.

The third development is that an Appeals Board will be established. Until now, if parents were dissatisfied with the provision for their child, their only option, if their concerns were not resolved locally or in consultation with state organisations, was to go to court. Under the Act several types of complaints can be brought to the Appeals Board and the board will determine these. Parents, schools, health boards and the council can bring complaints to the board.

In addition to the appeals mechanism the Act also provides for mediation in certain cases. This can arise where a person complains to the Minister that the special educational needs of a person are not being met or where a person proposes to bring or has brought legal proceedings in respect of the alleged failure to meet those needs. The Act empowers the Minister for Education and Science to prescribe regulations to make these complaints the subject of mediation. The mediation process will be held in private and limited information disclosed about it or about any outcomes. If a person decides not to participate in the mediation process and goes to court, the court may, when making a decision as to costs, take a refusal to participate or a failure to participate in good faith in the mediation, into account.

The Promises and Pitfalls There are positive aspects in the Act. However many of the promises in the Act, are subject to available resources. This is a key difficulty. The Act is clear that any decisions made by the Minister for Education and Science or the Minister for Health and Children are subject to the approval of the Minister for Finance.

Furthermore, the timeframe for the Act allows the provisions to be implemented over the course of several years. An implementation group will make recommendations and after that the provisions should be in place within five years. In practical terms this means that the provisions of the Act are up to six years away from becoming a reality. In these circumstances the delays that have bedevilled special education provision to date are likely to continue for several years to come. 7. List of Seminar Papers

Spring Seminar

Learning to make do won’t do John Monaghan, National Vice President, St Vincent de Paul Society

The Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill Mary Meaney, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Advisor, National Disability Authority

Identifying and assessing special educational needs Trevor James, Psychologist, National Educational Psychological Service

Responding to special educational needs at school Deirdre O’Connor, Irish National Teachers’ Organisation

Summer Seminar

Focus on Early Childhood Care and Education Jacqueline Fallon and Thomas Walsh, Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education

Towards A Framework for Early Learning Arlene Foster, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment

Autumn Seminar

The National Council for Special Education Sé Goulding, National Council for Special Education

The Special Education Support Services Joan Crowley O’Sullivan, Special Education Support Services

The National Educational Welfare Board Frank Smith, Geraldine McLean, National Educational Welfare Board