Supports needed for children with disabilities returning to school

Deputy Tully believes it is vital Children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) returning to school after being denied this essential help for five and a half months are provided with said services, right up to those attending PLC or third level.

A local TD has called on the Government to put in place the necessary measures to facility the return to school of children with disabilities across the State.

Sinn Fein's Pauline Tully says the last five and a half months have been “very difficult” for all sections of society, with young people have been particularly badly affected. “Their forced isolation from their extended family and friends has not only impacted on their education but has curtailed their personal development and social interaction,” said the local TD.

The Covid lockdown though, she states, has had an even greater disproportionate impact on young people with special educational needs. “Children and young people with additional needs have reported emotional, social, physical and behavioural difficulties and the absence of play and the inability to socialise with friends has had a seriously negative impact on their lives.

“The lack of routine as a result of school closures has adversely affected many, not least those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their parents who have had to shoulder what is the considerable burden of home schooling and remote learning. “

In addition to the closure of schools, other services also ceased or operated at a much reduced capacity, in particular therapeutic services such as Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy.

“The reason for this I am told is that staff have been redeployed to Testing and Contact Tracing which might have been justified at the outset of the crisis, when no one knew what was in store for the country or how things would pan out, but I do not understand why these particular staff still remain redeployed.

“These are highly qualified staff who are tasked with taking care of people who have additional and complex needs. They provide vital services that are presently being denied to the children who badly need them, and without which their anxiety levels greatly increase especially now as schools reopen.”

She adds that it is vital Children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) returning to school after being denied this essential help for five and a half months are provided with said services, right up to those attending PLC or third level.

“Normally, preparatory courses would be carried out with the young people transitioning. They would be offered supports and their parents would be given advice on how to support their child. A transitional report would then be prepared for the new school outlining the needs of the student so that they are provided with the supports to manage their new environment.

“This could be something as simple as identifying that a student is unable to cope with crowds meaning their locker should be assigned at the end of row rather than in the middle where people congregate. It could also be as simple as colour coding the timetable to assist the student in better orienting the school rota.”

To Deputy Tully's knowledge, that report was not done this year, which she says is “worrying” as such preparation is viewed these most difficult of times as “more vital than ever” before.

“Concerned parents have been in touch with me about the need to share a Special Needs Assistant (SNA) between classes. Most students are only allocated access to an SNA which results in the SNA having to travel between classes, and this has raised understandable concerns that such an arrangement may result in the spreading of Covid. I feel strongly that this sort of contact should be limited meaning there needs to be an increase in the number of SNAs immediately.

“It is vitally important that Special Education Teachers are not used to cover classes of teachers who are absent due to Covid or indeed any other reason. Special Education Hours must be ring-fenced for special education and the department needs to take decisive action against any principal who even attempts to do this,” states Deputy Tully.

She concludes by saying that due to the lack of support outside of school, children who are finding it difficult to return to the school environment must now be given the supports to do so, or if necessary given access to the Home Tuition Scheme. “Reporting these incidents to the Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) will only serve to add to the stress of the situation and every effort should be made to encourage the student back into school without resorting to this action.”