Annual Report 2005 - The National Disability Authority

National Disability Authority
of recommendations were made for both policy and practice. A summary report was
published later in the year and circulated to over 4,000 schools in Ireland. This report is
an example of how the NDA discharges its commitment to provide qualitative data to
inform planning and practice in services for people with disabilities.
Individual Education Plans (IEPs) were introduced on a statutory basis by the Education
for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004. IEPs provide a tailored
education plan for pupils assessed as having special educational needs. They involve
the establishment of an IEP team composed of teachers, parents, the pupil and other
relevant personnel where necessary (such as psychologists, therapists, etc.). In light of
the child’s strengths, abilities and needs, a plan is written which outlines a number of
educational goals for the child to achieve over a certain period, usually a year. The plan
also sets out the range of supports required to support the child in achieving his/her
aims and objectives, and is reviewed after one year.
Special education provision
Special Education Provision for Children with Disabilities in Irish
Schools: The Views of Stakeholders
As education is one of the key policy areas in the current strategic plan, research into
the provision of primary education for children with disabilities was initiated in Autumn
2004. The research was commissioned to a team based in Trinity College Dublin led
by Dr. Michael Shevlin. Completed in 2005, the research identified a number of key
findings, including: the capacities of the system and of schools to deliver was seen as
placing limitations on provision; the growing complexity of the role and workload
for principals and a shortfall in the range and level of skills required for teaching and
support staff were identified as constraining the capacity to deliver; parents identified
serious difficulties in gaining access to mainstream primary schools, particularly for
some children with intellectual and emotional/behavioural difficulties; serious difficulties
and delays in obtaining assessments were reported; teachers reported a lack of
knowledge regarding types of disabilities and the needs associated with them; and the
‘social dividend’ of inclusion in mainstream education was identified as one of the
most important outcomes for children with disabilities, although this was also seen to
diminish as children got older and transferred to the more complex environment at
second level.
A seminar was hosted by the NDA in November 2005 to present the findings of the
research. The findings of the research are due for publication in 2006.
Early School Leaving
The NDA analysis of the Census 2002 data identified that young people with disabilities
were three times more likely to leave school earlier than their non-disabled peers, and
leave with fewer qualifications. Therefore, in November 2005 the NDA commissioned
the Children’s Research Centre in Trinity College, Dublin, to undertake research to
examine the reasons why young people with disabilities were leaving school earlier
than other young people. This qualitative research will involve a number of focus groups
with relevant stakeholders as well as face-to-face in-depth interviews. This research is
due for completion at the end of 2006.
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