(Supplementary Order Paper) 6 DÁIL ÉIREANN Dé Máirt, 12 Feabhra, 2008 Tuesday, 12th February, 2008 2.30 p.m. GNÓ COMHALTAÍ PRÍOBHÁIDEACHA PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS Fógra i dtaobh leasú ar Thairiscint : Notice of Amendment to Motion 28. “That Dáil Éireann: — accepting that the current system of assessment for children with autism is inadequate; — noting the co-author of the report of the Government Taskforce on Autism has suggested the Department of Education and Science policy on education for autistic children is misguided; — considering that the lack of a suitable appeals process leaves parents with no option other than to pursue education services for their children through the courts; — acknowledging the Government’s delay in implementing the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 (EPSEN) to provide appropriate education services for children with special needs; — noting the Government’s refusal to change its policy to consider funding for new ABA centres despite a clear demand for ABA services countrywide; and — considering the Government’s failure to improve coordination between education and health services in supporting children with special needs despite promises in the Programme for Government 2007 to do so; calls on the Government to: — lay any evidence before the House which supports the suggestion that the current system of education provision for autistic children is suitable for all children, even those with moderate to severe autism who have been recommended one-to-one attention; — make specific education services available to autistic children where it has been recommended by psychologists, without delay; — introduce the outstanding provisions of the EPSEN Act 2004 according to the NCSE’s proposed timescale for implementation; — commit to funding the existing 12 ABA centres in their current format; — expand the current ABA pilot scheme of 12 centres to accommodate other projects of a similar nature where they are needed; P.T.O — recognise the qualifications of psychologists currently working in ABA centres; — honour its Programme for Government commitment and institute an appeals system without further delay; — ensure speech and language therapy and behavioural therapy is made available to all schools with autistic children in attendance; and — immediately move to enhance cooperation between the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Health and Children to ensure children with special needs receive adequate support in all aspects of their lives from an early age.” — Brian Hayes, James Reilly, Enda Kenny, Bernard Allen, James Bannon, Seán Barrett, Pat Breen, Richard Bruton, Ulick Burke, Catherine Byrne, Joe Carey, Deirdre Clune, Paul Connaughton, Noel J. Coonan, Simon Coveney, Seymour Crawford, Michael Creed, Lucinda Creighton, Michael D'Arcy, John Deasy, Jimmy Deenihan, Andrew Doyle, Bernard J. Durkan, Damien English, Olwyn Enright, Frank Feighan, Charles Flanagan, Terence Flanagan, Tom Hayes, Phil Hogan, Paul Kehoe, Pádraic McCormack, Shane McEntee, Dinny McGinley, Joe McHugh, Olivia Mitchell, Denis Naughten, Dan Neville, Michael Noonan, Kieran O'Donnell, Fergus O'Dowd, Jim O'Keeffe, John O'Mahony, John Perry, Michael Ring, Alan Shatter, Tom Sheahan, P. J. Sheehan, David Stanton, Billy Timmins, Leo Varadkar. Leasú: Amendment: 1. To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following: “recognising that: — major improvements have been made in special education in recent years, underpinned by a doubling of investment since 2004 to €900 million this year and the provision of approximately 19,000 teachers and SNAs to work solely with children with special needs; — the number of special classes for children with autism has increased by 40% in the past year alone, with 277 classes now in place in mainstream and special schools around the country; — applied Behavioural Analysis is one of the interventions used in such classes, along with others that focus on the development of children’s speech and communication skills; — the Task Force on Autism recommended that a range of resources and approaches be made available to meet the unique needs of each student with an autistic spectrum disorder in all school settings; — the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 is being implemented on the phased basis provided for in the legislation so that teachers and schools will be well-prepared for the major developments that it encompasses; — the first Special Education Appeals Board has already been appointed in advance of the full implementation of the Act; and — improved coordination between the education and health sectors has been prioritised, with the appointment of a Minister of State with that specific responsibility and the establishment of a Cross Sectoral Team to coordinate the implementation of Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005 and the relevant sections of the EPSEN Act 2004; appreciates that in any area of historic under-provision it takes time to bring services up to the optimum level and supports the Government’s determination to: — improve access to assessments for children with special needs, as per the commitments in the Disability Act 2005 and the Programme for Government; — expand pre-school provision around the country to ensure early intervention; — continue to increase the number of special classes for children with autism; — continue to provide schools with the necessary supports so that each child with special needs can have an education that is tailored to their unique individual needs and abilities, with provision for a range of interventions – including PECS, ABA and TEACCH – for children with autism; — deliver on the commitment in the Programme for Government to ‘commit to long- term funding for the 12 centres that are currently in the ABA pilot scheme subject to agreement with the Department of Education and Science on standards that will enable the Department to support them as primary schools for children with autism’.; — continue the work of putting in place the necessary processes to enable the full implementation of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 by October 2010 as set out in the legislation; — develop special schools as centres of excellence and outreach facilities and allow for dual enrolment so that children can attend both a special school and a mainstream school as appropriate; — continue to improve second level provision for children with special needs; — improve access to speech and language and occupational therapy; and — provide parents, through the Special Education Appeals Board, with a right of recourse to an independent appeals process.” — An tAire Oideachais agus Eolaíochta. P.T.O.