Children with special needs are one of two categories of children who stand to gain most from the White Paper. (Children from disadvantaged backgrounds comprise the second category.) The special-needs sector is particularly pleased that, at last, such children are coming in from the educational cold. "This is the first time I have ever seen the needs of children with disabilities included in pre-school education," comments Andrew Logue, research development officer of the Disability Federation of Ireland. "Until now we've had care centres funded by the Department of Health, but no input from Education. In the past, departments have operated separately. This is a big breakthrough."
The White Paper makes it clear that the Department of Education and Science has taken on board recent research into the effectiveness of early intervention programmes for children with special needs. The evidence emerging, the White Paper notes, is "unequivocal in highlighting the significance of the early years in the development of children with disabilities and in stressing the value of targeted systematic, intensive and high-quality interventions".
The category covers a wide range of children with disabilities, including children with mental handicap, emotional and behavioural disorders, physical and sensory disabilities, specific learning disabilities, speech and language disorders and autism. "There is the possibility that, with quality early childhood educational interventions, the handicaps and difficulties of a child with a disability such as autism, cerebral palsy, hearing impairment or Down's Syndrome may experience will be reduced and additional problems will be prevented," the White Paper says. Early support for families of children with special needs to help them to adjust to their situation is also vital, according to the document. It recommends the use of early-childhood teachers to help parents to acquire the skills they need. Health boards, notes the White Paper, need "well-staffed, multidisciplinary teams" in hospitals and at local level in order to diagnose and identify disability.
"The insights and recommendations of psychologists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, can be of immediate value in pre-school settings and in schools in developing education plans for pupils with disabilities." The White Paper says the parents of all pre-school children with diagnosed disabilities should have access to an early-education expert. Initially they will work as advisors to parents. Later, they may teach the children. Once the children attend pre-school or another care facility, the experts will give education advice to teachers and carers. Access to other key professionals - psychologists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists - is vital. However, "the shortage in the supply of key professionals . . . is a matter of immediate and ongoing concern".
All teachers, the White Paper promises, are to have access to pre-service and in-service development which will give them the skills and knowledge to help special needs children.
A range of induction and postgraduate courses are to be made available. Adaptions (by the NCCA) to the revised curriculum are already under way for pupils with intellectual impairments and general learning difficulties. Pre-school services which enrol special needs children are to receive support. Centres will also be helped to employ special-needs teachers.
Children with special needs, too, will be able to avail of the services of the National Educational Psychological Service, the White Paper promises.
According to the then Minister for Education and Science, Micheal Martin, " the approach in regard to early special education is to build on and improve the extent and quality of existing services. This said, where direct state provision is necessary, it will be put in place. This is particularly the case when it comes to highly specialised interventions, such as for children with autism, where research shows the potentially dramatic impact of appropriate, specialist, child-centred early interventions."
Just before he left office in January, Martin announced a £4 million initiative to create a national special-education support service. He identified seven guiding principles which will provide a basis for the new service, including the entitlement of all special-needs children to appropriate quality education, early comprehensive assessments of needs, the promotion of inclusion, regular review of the educational progress of special needs children and the continual updating of special-education policy. Further principles include the provision of integrated services in relation to each type of disability and the establishment of an appeals system to deal with situations where differences of opinion on children's needs emerge. A planning group established by the Minister to address weaknesses in the present system is expected to report shortly.
