Language therapists to become a fixture in class

SPEECH and language therapists, as well as occupational therapists, will be brought into classrooms as part of a new plan geared towards ‘early intervention’ to identify behaviour and speech problems in young students.

The pilot scheme will be rolled out in 150 schools and pre-schools initially, and the cross-departmental project will see in-school and preschool therapy services provided for the first time ever.

Its purpose is to ‘test a model of tailored therapeutic supports that allow for early intervention in terms of providing speech and language and occupational therapy within educational settings’. The project will be launched by Education Minister Richard Bruton, Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone and Health Minister Simon Harris today, and is to be managed by the National Council for Special Education.

A total of 150 schools and preschools have been selected to ‘test the model’ in phase one of the project, which will roll out over the 2018-2019 academic year.

The HSE is set to recruit 19 speech and language therapists, as well as 12 occupational therapists, to support the project in the 150 schools.

The Department of Education said phase one is aimed at ‘developing greater linkages between educational and therapy supports’, as well as providing training for school staff and parents in ‘supporting children’s therapy and developmental needs’.

150 schools have been chosen for trial