# What are the criteria to allocate Special Needs Assistants (SNA's) in Primary Schools



## ajapale (25 Nov 2006)

Q. What are the criteria relating to Special Needs Assistants (SNA's) in Primary Schools in the Republic of Ireland?

 is what oasis has to say.



> *Special Needs Assistants (SNAs)*
> Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) work with children who need extra non-teaching support perhaps because of a physical disability or behavioural difficulties. SNAs may be approved to support pupils who have a significant medical need for such assistance. This might include a significant impairment of physical or sensory function or where their behaviour makes them a danger to themselves or other pupils. The criteria used for the assessment of the need for such support are outlined in the Department of Education’s Circular 07/02 (pdf). Pupils’ needs could range from needing an assistant for a short period each week, for example, to help feed or change the pupil(s) or bring them to the toilet, to requiring a full-time assistant.
> SNAs may work with more than one child and can also work on a part-time basis depending on the needs of the school.


*Circular 07/02*


> *Applications for full-time or part-time Special Needs Assistant support to address the special care needs of children with disabilities.*
> 
> *1. Introduction*
> Special Needs Assistants (SNA) are recruited specifically to assist in the care of pupils with disabilities in an educational context. They may be appointed to a special school or
> ...


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## path (26 Nov 2006)

Hi ajapale

You answered your question in that SNA are provided to assist to the needs of children with *physical or behavioural disabilities*. The difficulty arises in determining what is a disability?

A child with Autism/ADHD/ADD seems to come under behaviour and are able to get some form of SNA hours.

Some children with disabilities eg Down Syndrome or Medical conditions eg Diabetes do not seem to come under the above headings even though they may be of danger to themselves and others.

So a child with Down Syndrome who is not fully communicative, may have problems in a class of 25, in the medium spectre of IQ ,needing resource teaching hours and  mild behavioural problems is not entitled to an SNA.

The problem for many parents is what is a pyhsical or behavioural disability. If the State puts resources into the Education of these children now the benefits of a self sufficant future for these children will become a realit not just a dream.


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