Significant on-going illness; Physical Disability; or Specific Learning Difficulty (including Dyslexia and Dsycalculia) Educational Impact Criteria In order to meet DARE’s educational impact criteria, applicants must meet the correct combination of two of the following indicators of educational impact: Applicants with a Specific Learning Difficulty must meet indicator 7 plus one other indicator to meet DARE Educational Impact Criteria. All other applicants must meet any combination of two indicators from indicators 1 to 6 to meet DARE Educational Impact Criteria. Indicators Criteria Learning and Exam Results Has your disability caused you to experience additional challenges compared with your classmates in completing homework, studying for exams, participating in class or in accessing the curriculum; OR If onset (or deterioration) of your condition occurred while you were attending secondary school, has this impacted on your exam results?; OR Do you attend a supported or specialised school (e.g. school for the deaf)? Attendance and Disruption Have you missed a significant number of days in secondary school due to your disability?; OR Have you missed a significant number of classes or been unable to complete full school days? This may be due to, for example, personal care needs, appointments for learning support, fatigue or your condition means that you need to take breaks from classes; OR Is there any other type of significant disruption to your school experience, such as having to repeat a school year due to the impact of your disability? School Experience and Well-being Has your potential to participate in extra-curricular or social activity been constrained as a result of your disability or condition?; OR Have you at any stage during your time in second level required and received support due to the emotional impact of your disability or condition? Intervention and Supports Have you received additional support in school due to the impact of your disability?; OR Have you been granted exam accommodations for the leaving certificate? Time Issues Does it take considerably longer for to complete school work or study in comparison to your classmates due to the impact of your disability?; OR Do you have less time than your classmates to dedicate to study or homework due to managing your condition? Other Educational Impact Is there another educational impact related to your disability that has not been covered under any of the previous sections above? Specific Learning Difficulty Do you have a Psycho-Educational Assessment report showing two literacy or two numeracy scores at or below the 10th percentile?
Table 3:4: Summary of application process by NCSE Scheme No of Applications 2015 2014 2013 Resource teacher 16,209 Over 16,000 Over 13,900 SNA 8,656 Over 8,800 Over 7,700 School transport 3,289 Over 2,700 Over 2,500 Assistive technology/specialist equipment 2,928 Over 3,000 Over 2,700 Total 31,082 Over 30,000 Over 23,000 Sources: NCSE Report 2015; NCSE Report 2014; NCSE Report 2013 Table 3:5: Summary of Additional Supports 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Trends Mainstream Classes For the 2013-14 school year, 480 additional resource teacher posts and 170 additional SNA posts were provided for allocation by the NCSE. The NCSE allocated 5,721 resource teachers to mainstream schools to provide additional teaching capacity to schools for students with special educational needs. In the 2013-14 school year, the overall number of students accessing resource teaching supports rose to over 45,700. This compares with 42,000 students in the 2012-13 school year. The NCSE allocated 6,204 resource teachers to mainstream schools to provide additional teaching capacity to schools for students with special educational needs in 2014/15. This is an increase of 483 whole time equivalent resource teaching posts on the number (5,721) allocated to mainstream schools in the 2013-14 school year. In the 2014-15 school year, the overall number of students accessing resource teaching supports rose to over 48,000 (see Appendix 3). This compares with 45,700 students in the 2013-14 school year. The number of resource teachers allocated to mainstream schools from 2014 to 2015 has increased by 8.4%. The number of children accessing these resource teaching supports also rose by 14.3% from 2013 to 2015. From 2013 to 2014 it increased by 8.8%. Then the following year the number of children accessing these resources increased by 5% Special Classes The NCSE provides the required teacher and SNA posts for special classes SENOs sanctioned the establishment of 118 new special classes in the school year SENOs sanctioned the establishment of 139 new special classes in the school year 2014-15. By the end of school year The number of special classes between 2013 and 2015 increased by 17.8%. From 2013 to
Hearing impairment 707 432 746 461 751 480 Moderate general learning disability 540 221 558 192 585 178 Multiple disabilities 2,180 731 2,059 839 2,003 993 Other 206 22 185 37 46 9 Physical disability 3,327 2,278 3,778 2,624 4,076 2,924 Severe emotional/behavioural disturbance 839 436 776 485 814 458 Severe/profound general learning disability 24 7 24 1 35 1 Specific speech and language disorder 4,934 931 5,662 1,089 6,494 1,204 Visual impairment 293 220 311 227 309 231 Students with a borderline or mild general learning disability or a specific learning disability (estimate) 10,010 10,010 10,010 Total 22,271 20,219 24,104 21,669 25,647 22,777 Source: NCSE Report 2013 , NCSE Report 2014 , , NCSE Report 2015 Student Numbers Accessing Low Incidence Teaching Hours Table 3:8: Number of students accessing additional Low Incidence Resource Teaching Hours Academic Year Primary Post Primary Total Growth 11/12 20,138 9,288 29,426 - 12/13 22,271 10,209 32,480 10% 13/14 24,104 11,659 35,763 10% 14/15 25,647 12,767 38,414 7% Source: http://ncse.ie/ncse-statistics-on-resource-allocations
Physical/mobility Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (Dyspraxia/Dysgraphia) Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia or Dyscalculia) General Learning Difficulty (Including Intellectual Difficulty and Learning Difficulties resulting from an Acquired Brain Injury) FE only Support Available Table 4:7: Support Available Support Available Eligible expenditure Ineligible Expenditure UK – Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) scheme Assistive technology, equipment and software Support workers and non-medical assistants Travel costs/transport Assistive technology, equipment and software Repairs, technical assistance, insurance and warranty of assistive technology, equipment and software Support workers Non-medical assistants Note-takers Transport Assessment to prove disability Non-medical helpers from a family member of friend unless they are registered with and comply with legislation USA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Information not available Federal student aid covers such expenses as: tuition and fees room and board books and supplies, and transportation. Aid also can help pay for other related expenses, such as a computer and dependent care. Information not available
Australia - Disability Support Program (DSP) Educational support for disabled students Equipment Educational support for disabled students Equipment Infrastructure Salaries Ongoing operations of general disability support or personal care to students Ireland - Fund for Students with Disabilities Assistive technology equipment and software; Personal Assistance; Note-takers; Irish Sign Language Interpreters; SpeedText; Subject-specific tutorials; Study skills Support; and Travel Costs/ Transport. Assistive technology equipment and software; Personal assistance; Academic/learning support; and Transport. Assessment or diagnosis of a disability; Any medical equipment, assistance or support; Services that can reasonably be expected to be provided by the college (e.g. Counselling service) or by another agency (e.g. Local health service); Course-related equipment, books, materials or software (i.e. Applicable to all students on the course); Support or assistance provided outside the academic year, or periods during the academic year when the college is closed; Subsistence, mileage and accommodation costs for personal assistants, speed-text operators or ISL interpreters; Staff training and development policy work or research; Repairs, technical support, insurance or warranty costs arising from equipment purchased for students approved for support under the fund; and Policy work or research. Source: Higher Education Authority: Fund for Students with Disabilities Guidelines for Higher Education Institutions for academic year 2015-16; A guide to Disabled Students’ Allowances 2016 to 2017 available at http://media.slc.co.uk/sfe/1617/ft/sfe_disabled_students_allowance_guide_1617_d.pdf; Higher Education Support Act 2003 - Other Grants Guidelines (Education) 2012 (DIISRTE)