Government approves pilot for enhanced in-school therapy supports in Dublin special schools

The programme will be provided by the Health Service Executive’s Children’s Disability Network Teams in sixteen special schools, commencing in Cork and Dublin and will be supported by the National Council for Special Education.  It will commence this September in selected schools and will run for the 2024 / 2025 academic year.  The purpose of the programme is to provide the effective delivery of in-school therapy supports to children in addition to existing services being provided through Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs).

This pilot is an integrated model supported by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY), the Department of Education (DoE), the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). The pilot features enhanced supports provided by the HSE and supported by the NCSE, with a focus on the provision of additional Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy supports, based on need, to children attending special schools. Teachers and students in the special schools taking part in the pilot will have access to Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists who will be based in the school for the full duration of the school day. The integrated model will allow children to continue with their existing CDNT services and receive additional services from the school based CDNT personnel.

The therapists will be involved in a range of tasks in the special schools which will include delivering information-sharing workshops with staff and families at a whole school or class level, advising on adapting the environment, supporting teacher-led programmes focussed on children with specific needs or, where clinically indicated, providing therapeutic intervention and programmes with groups or individual children.

As part of the programme, it is envisaged that the therapists will support children and young people participating in their school’s Summer Programme in 2025.

Welcoming the pilot, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman said “today’s announcement is made with the clear expectation that children attending special schools selected for the pilot will see an increase in therapy hours delivered, ensuring the best outcomes for children. Importantly, they will be supported to ensure both their educational needs and needs beyond education are met with the expertise of appropriate service providers.”

“Engagement with and support for special schools is a key action under the Roadmap for Service Improvement 2023 – 2026 Disability Services for Children and Young People. It is absolutely crucial that integration between health and education is optimised to ensure children with complex needs are being supported appropriately.”

Commenting on the announcement, Minister of State with responsibility for Disabilities Anne Rabbitte stated “I’m delighted that the Government is supporting this extremely important initiative, which will bolster supports for children in special schools by delivering in-school therapeutic supports. In-school therapies is an area I have been working on improving over a number of years through the HSE and I have also engaged significantly with parents and Special School principals in particular on the issue.”

“It’s great to see today’s announcement come to fruition following a proposal being brought to the Cabinet Committee on Children and Education and Disability, which allows for a more integrated approach between health and education. This is such a key relationship and one which I hope will continue to grow over the coming years, ensuring children are receiving the supports they need where they need them, and in a way that is easy for parents too.”

Managed in a coherent and collaborative manner through the key stakeholders, it will supplement existing services being provided through Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs) while undoubtedly enhancing much needed services for children attending special schools.”

Minister for Education, Norma Foley said “I very much welcome that therapists will be allocated to work in special schools for the full duration of the school day and school year as part of this pilot programme They will bring their skills, knowledge, and expertise to support teachers in maximising children’s inclusion and learning experiences. In turn, therapists will have the opportunity to further develop their experience in supporting children in special schools, arising from their engagement with teachers.

“The evaluation of the programme will also be highly valuable, as a means of informing future policy development to ensure all children and young people can access education in the way that best supports them to realise their full potential; the effective provision of appropriate supports is central to my Department’s mission to ensure high-quality learning and teaching across education and to improve learning experiences so that all our children and young people will succeed,” she said

The delivery of in-school therapy supports to special schools is a separate initiative to the work being done by the speech and language therapists and occupational therapists on the HSE’s Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNT). Children with special needs will continue to attend their local CDNT for their one-to-one appointments with speech and language therapists and occupational therapists on the CDNT.

Discussions have already taken place between DCEDIY, DoE, the HSE and the NCSE to commence the necessary preparations and detailed engagement will take place with management of the respective special schools as soon as the schools reopen for the start of the new school year.