The Government’s apparent new criteria for children to qualify for Special Needs support has drawn criticism, with one Navan Cllr describing it as ‘stripped back and narrow’
Aontú’s Cllr Emer Tóibín says:
“I am deeply concerned over talk of Special Needs Assistants (SNA) Cuts and Redeployment.
I have been contacted by so many SNA’s over the last few days who have told me that this government appears to be fundamentally narrowing the definition of what qualifies a child for SNA support.
Under the revised deployment model introduced through the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), allocation is now based almost exclusively on tightly defined primary care needs such as toileting, feeding, significant medical interventions, mobility or serious safety risks.
Emotional regulation, sensory overload, communication difficulties, transitions, anxiety, or a child’s inability to cope in a busy mainstream classroom may no longer meet the threshold unless linked to intensive care needs.
Councillor Toibin joined us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.