Changes to special needs funding in schools

NeutralHandle

Changes are underway to how funding for complex needs is allocated to schools. Previously a factor in its allocation has been the needs of the pupils in the schools. That is being removed and the funding will be allocated based on test scores, size and disadvantage.

https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/282687/b3da8b64-5451-4b5b-b158-e37936d48394.pdf#page=null

https://www.into.ie/2024/02/06/set-allocation-ignores-important-considerations/

The problem with this is that children who need and have assistance will probably lose it. Schools that actively invest in infrastructure to support complex needs attract more children with complex needs. Schools that do not do so have fewer. The funding changes make no sense and effectively reward schools for not investing in supports.

My six year old son is doing great in a school that provides intelligent support for him. He is doing very well academically. He is well-liked by children and staff. He engages enthusiastically at break and in football and rugby.

He is autistic - classified as level 2, requiring significant support. He required speech therapy to help him be able to speak in an intelligible way. Before he started school we brought him to a playschool half an hour away because it was the best option we could find. We took him out later because he was not enjoying it and was just not happy in himself. He was unable to join in play. Some of the staff and kids were mean to him. He experienced sensory overload on a daily basis. I found them impossible to talk to constructively, instead calling my son a liar.

Naturally we were concerned about how he would fare in school. We put some time into finding one that has strong organizational knowledge of autism and a positive attitude about it. That has made a huge difference.

He is in a class of 29 children, which is not ideal per se - but that's a separate conversation. He was having significant sensory issues but masking them pretty well in the classroom. I discussed this with the school and they responded by providing targeted breaks at the noisiest times. This has been working great. He looks forward to school and does well there. This is what I mean by intelligent support.

The school is known for this and attracts other children with complex needs from near and far. At least one family moved across the country to find an environment suitable for their son. I expect the changes to funding will result in them losing out, and perhaps no longer being able to provide the kind of support that they have to potentially vulnerable children.

Like a lot of parents and teachers, I am very concerned by these changes. My view is that the changes are a retrograde step that should be rolled back.

Repo101

Unfortunately the whole system for special needs is completely broken. Senos are under extreme pressure and are trying to reallocate resources within their designated region. School places are hard to come by in my area nevermind special needs places. You can't get an appointment for occupational therapy or speech and language. Getting a diagnosis publicly takes at least 2 years and a private diagnosis does not allow you to access state resources. The state resources for your child are basically education for parents which is impractical if you have two working parents. The whole system is a complete shambles and a shame on the state.

NeutralHandle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121782351#Comment_121782351

We had a few places to pick from at least, but the other side of that coin is that in each case the class sizes were large or two classes were taught together.

I agree that speech therapy is a disaster. We went private and even then it was pot luck. First therapist did nothing we couldn't do ourselves with google. Second one was good, but she quit her job and we were not offered a new appointment outside school time. Meanwhile the public system has just ping-ponged between the regional childrens services and the HSE, each one insisting it is the other's responsibility. He is six and had been generally unintelligible to people other than me before significant intervention - so I don't think it's ok that he would have been neglected had we been unable to access supports privately.

We also got his diagnosis privately. There are private consultants whose diagnoses will be accepted. We found someone for whom this was the case because they had had a position in the HSE.

I think parental education is the best approach, but it relies on the parents being able to pass that on to teachers and other responsible adults (and therefore those individuals being receptive to it) even when they are not both working.