Navigating the System the road map to support

Navigating the System - the road map to support www. specialneedsparents. ie Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

About Us Special Needs Parents Association exists to support all parents of persons with special needs and disabilities irrespective of age or diagnosis, by promoting on a national level, improved treatment, education, welfare and acceptance for our children. The Special Needs Parents Association was set up early in 2010 by likeminded parents from all over Ireland who realised that there was a need for a national organisation to represent the views of all parents of persons with special needs and disabilities, regardless of their diagnosis or age. SNPA provides information, peer support & national advocacy on a voluntary basis. Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Circle of support Health Community Education Parents & Child Peer Support Groups Welfare & Organisations Friends Family Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Health Who to contact first? General Practitioner/Local Public Health Nurse • • Assessment of Need (Ao. N) Medical Card Long Term Illness Scheme Drugs Payment Scheme HSE Continence (Nappy) Scheme Primary Medical Certificate Disability Network Teams/Primary Care Teams Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Assessment of Need An assessment of need is an assessment of the full range of a child’s needs associated with his or her disability. After this, you will receive an Assessment Report detailing the child’s needs and the services required to meet those needs. • If you are of the opinion that your child may have a disability and they were born after 1 st June 2002 you may apply with permission, to HSE for an Assessment of Need via an appointed Assessment of Need Officer. • The Ao. N process can take up to twelve months. • There is no obligation to provide services & waiting lists are common. Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Medical Card A medical card issued by the Health Service Executive (HSE) allows the holder to receive certain health services free of charge. • Children qualifying for DCA will automatically be entitled to a Medical Card (Application process due to start late Spring 2017) • In other cases, to qualify for a medical card your weekly income must be below a certain figure for your family size. • Cash income, savings, investments and property (except for your own home) are taken into account in the means test. • Medical Cards may also be issued in complex cases where the applicant does not satisfy the means test but the medical needs of the applicant are taken into account. Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Long Term Illness Scheme People suffering from certain conditions, who are not already medical card holders, can get free drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances for the treatment of that condition. These are provided under the Long Term Illness Scheme. This scheme is administered by the HSE. The medical conditions that qualify under the Long Term Illness Scheme are: • Mental handicap • Mental illness (for people under 16 only) • Diabetes insipidus • Diabetes mellitus • Haemophilia • Cerebral palsy • Phenylketonuria • Epilepsy • Cystic fibrosis • Multiple sclerosis • Spina bifida • Muscular dystrophies • Hydrocephalus • Parkinsonism • Acute leukaemia • Conditions arising from use of Thalidomide

Drugs Payment Scheme Under the Drugs Payment Scheme you have to pay a maximum of € 144 a month for approved prescribed drugs, medicines and certain appliances for use by yourself and your family in that month. In order to qualify for this scheme, you must be ordinarily resident in Ireland. Your local pharmacist can provide you with more information and help with application forms. Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

HSE Free Nappy Scheme The HSE operate a scheme to supply free nappies to children with continence difficulties arising from a disability over the age of 3 years. Children first undergo a continence assessment facilitated by a Local Public Health Nurse or Continence Adviser and a daily allocation of nappies is prescribed by the HSE Continence Unit. Nappies are delivered approx every 8 weeks to your home or local health centre for collection. Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Primary Medical Certificate This is a certificate issued by the HSE which certifies that a person is a severely disabled and permanently disabled person for the purposes of Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Regulations 1994. Some of the benefits of this certificate are that you may qualify for a refund of Vehicle Registration Tax, VAT and Excise Duty if you buy a new or second hand car. You may also qualify for exemption of road tax and a refund of VAT on motor fuel up to certain limits. The application is now done online on www. revenue. ie You must meet one following criteria to be issued the Certificate: • Be wholly or almost wholly without the use of both legs • Be wholly without the use of one leg and almost wholly without the use of the other leg such that you are severely restricted as to the movement of the lower limbs • Be without both hands or without both arms • Be without one or both legs • Be wholly or almost wholly without the use of both hands, or arms and wholly without the use of one leg • Have the medical condition of dwarfism and have serious difficulties of movement of the lower limbs Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Progressing Disability Services for Children & Young Persons 0 -18 yrs The project is being organised at national, regional and local level and includes representatives from services (both health and education) and parents getting together to see how current services can be reorganised to achieve this better structure. The vision for the programme is • One clear pathway to services for all children with disabilities according to need. • Resources used to the greatest benefit for all children and families. • Health and education working together to support children to achieve their potential. Children’s Disability Network Teams are currently being established across the country to cater for children with complex disabilities regardless of diagnosis. Children with non complex disabilities will be catered for by Primary Care Teams. Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

AIM is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. It involves seven levels of progressive support, moving from the universal to the targeted, based on the needs of the child and the service provider. www. preschoolaccess. ie Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Education Considerations • • • the child’s needs the child’s best interests your own/parents preference the needs of other children in the school setting. Settings Pre-School- Mainstream, Special Pre-School, ASD Pre. School Class Primary School-Mainstream, Special Classes, Special School, Secondary School-Mainstream, Special School, Special Class Home Tuition Third Level-University with supports (DARE ) & Adult Learning Networks Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Educational Supports • • • Special Needs Assistants New Model for Allocation of Additional Teaching Inclusion Support Service (ISS) July Provision Assistive Technology Equipment Special Transport Irish Language Exemption National Educational Psychology Service Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Special Needs Assistants SNA’s are appointed to schools to assist with care needs of pupils with disabilities. This can include help with activities like clothing, feeding, toileting and mobility. They can also be appointed where a child’s behaviour is such that they present a danger to themselves and others. • SNA’s are not qualified to provide educational support to pupils. • SNA’s are not personal assistants although they may work with one specific child. • SNA’s are a school based resource and the Principal allocates how much time each SNA spends with which child. • SNA’s may be shared between a couple of children who qualify for “Access”. • SNA’s help children to develop independent living skills where possible. • SNA access may reduce overtime as a child develops self care skills. • Applications for SNA support is made by the school Principal. Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

New Model for Allocation of Additional Teaching The new model for allocations replaces the existing General Allocation Model and application for Resource Teaching based on diagnosis from 2017. All schools will receive a bulk allocation up front according to their profiles for a period of two years. Schools will plan teaching interventions based around the needs of children with SEN. Teaching interventions may be delivered through a mix of in in-class co -teaching, small groups or one to one/withdrawal. Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Hours of resource teaching support available to school per week Low Incidence Disabilities Physical Disability 3 Hearing Impairment 4 Visual Impairment 3. 5 Emotional Disturbance 3. 5 Severe Emotional Disturbance Moderate General Learning Disability Severe / 5 3. 5 Profound General Learning 5 Disability Autism / Autistic Spectrum Disorders Specific Speech and Language Disorder 5 4 3 to 5, taking into Assessed syndrome in account the pupil’s conjunction with one of special educational the above low incidence needs including disabilities level of general learning disability Multiple Disabilities 5 Resource Teaching Hours are currently allocated by a Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) on the basis of disability categories to children assessed as having a Low Incidence Disability. Children currently in school with resource hours will continue to have that allocation until they leave school. The applications for Resource Hours is now discontinued. Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Inclusion Support Service • The newly established ISS will be made up of several educational support bodies being amalgamated. • These bodies include the National Council for Special Education, Special Education Support Service, The Visiting Teachers’ for Hearing and Visual Impairment Service & National Behavioural Support Service. • The objective of establishing the ISS is to provide a more integrated service to schools rather than multiple pathways to supports. Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

July Provision July provision is a scheme available to children with autistic spectrum disorders and severe to profound learning disabilities. The scheme operates in two ways, home based provision and school based provision. • Parents must engage their own tutors/teachers in the case of Home Based July Provision and ensure that the application form is completed. • Where July provision operates in schools, the school will inform you of details of the scheme and dates each year. • Application forms are available on www. education. ie • Ask/advertise in local schools if teachers are interested & also see www. julyprovision. com to find tutors. Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Other Educational Supports • Assistive Technology- Braille machines, software, adapted computer accessories, audio systems etc. Applications made via school to Department of Education • Special School Transport- The purpose of the special transport scheme is to support the transport to and from school of children with special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability. Contact your SENO for eligibility. Bus escorts may also be sanctioned. • Equipment- Special seating, adjustable desks, toilet adaptations. • Exam Accommodations-Scribes, single exam centres, grammar waiver etc. www. examinations. ie • Irish Exemption- Where the exemption is sought on the grounds of a disability, the parent or guardian must supply reports from a qualified psychologist or from an appropriate medical specialist. • National Educational Psychology Service- are concerned with learning, behaviour, social and emotional development & organised on a regional basis with psychologists being assigned to a group of schools. Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Welfare Common Benefits & Entitlements • Domiciliary Care Allowance • Carers Benefit • Carer’s Support Grant • Disability Allowance “You are only entitled to apply for an allowance, not necessarily to be awarded an allowance” Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly payment to the carer of a child with a disability so severe that the child requires care and attention and/or supervision substantially in excess of another child of the same age. This care and attention must be provided to allow the child to deal with the activities of daily living. The child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 months. You’re child does not have to have a diagnosis in order to apply. It will be paid up to the age of 16 yrs if the child remains eligible. Handy Tip: Keep a diary of daily activities and care provided to support your application and provide as much evidence with your initial application as possible. Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Carers Allowance Carer’s Allowance is payment made by the Department of Social Protection for carers who are looking after someone who is in need of support & of full-time care and attention because of age, physical or learning disability or illness, including mental illness. It is a means tested payment. • If the child is under the age of 16 yr, you must qualify for DCA first. Carers Benefit Carer’s Benefit is a payment made to insured persons in Ireland who leave the workforce to care for a person(s) in need of full-time care and attention. You can get Carer’s Benefit for a total period of 104 weeks for each person being cared for. Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Carer’s Support Grant Formerly the Respite Care Grant, the Carer’s Support Grant is an annual payment for carers who look after certain people in need of full-time care and attention. The payment is made regardless of the carer’s means but is subject to certain conditions. You do not need to apply for the Respite Care Grant: • if you, or anyone else, is getting Carer’s Allowance (including half-rate Carer’s Allowance), Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance or Prescribed Relative Allowance for caring for this person, • The Respite Care Grant is paid automatically to anyone getting these payments. • One Respite Care Grant only is paid for each person needing full-time care and attention. The Grant payment is due on the first Thursday of June and is currently € 1700. Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Disability Allowance is a weekly payment that you may get if you have an injury, disease or physical or mental disability that is expected to last for at least one year, and you are aged 16 to 65. To get the payment, you must satisfy a means test and be habitually resident in Ireland. • Disability Allowance is paid directly to the applicant, not the parent. • Disability Allowance criteria is not related to care needs but on to ability to work. • You may need to set up a special bank account or Post Office account for payment. Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Other Schemes & Supports Available • • • Disabled Drivers/Passenger Scheme Disability Parking Permit (Blue Card) www. iwa. ie Housing Adaptation Scheme (means tested) Incapacitated Child Tax Credit (www. revenue. ie) Home Carers Tax Credit Medical Expenses Reimbursement (Meds 1 Form) Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Resources The information is there, if you know what to look for! • Special Needs Parents Association • www. specialneedsparents. ie • National Council for Special Education - www. ncse. ie • Dept. of Education- www. education. ie • Dept. of Social Protection- www. welfare. ie • Health Service Executive- www. hse. ie • Citizens Information Service - www. citizensinformation. ie Special Needs Parents Association © 2017

Please visit our website for more information www. specialneedsparents. ie Thank You! Special Needs Parents Association © 2017