ACCESSIBILITY OF EDUCATION TO INDIVIDUALS WITH ADDITIONAL NEEDS
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Accessibility of Education to Children with Additional Needs
Education for children with special needs is an essential segment of the Irish
educational system regulated by law. It has definite teaching approaches, equality policies,
and differentiation methods (Book (eISB), 2004). This paper discusses legislation and
equality policies concerning special educational needs (SEN) in Ireland and learning theories
applicable to the curriculum. It will identify and operationalise differentiation concerning
autism, elaborate on teaching approaches that support differentiation for learners with autism
and expound on communication aids for autistic children. Last but not least, the
understanding and use of the Individual Education Plans (IEPs), the role of multidisciplinary
team (MDT) participation and the sources of stress among the Special Needs Assistants
(SNAs) shall also be discussed.
Special Educational Needs, commonly known as SEND Legislation.
In Ireland, the rights and educational provisions of people with SEN are mainly
safeguarded and governed by legislation on inclusion and sufficient support services.
Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act.
The EPSEN Act (2004) is the primary legislation in Ireland that deals with SEN. The
Act seeks to entitle children with special education needs to the same rights as any other child
to education where possible in a mainstream class. This legislation requires identifying the
child’s SEN and formulating an IEP to facilitate education provision to each child. The
EPSEN Act is essential because it stands for the bill that grants a right to be included in
education and supports this inclusion (Merrigan and Senior, 2021). A review of the EPSEN
Act is ongoing to make changes to the EPSEN Act to address the needs of learners in modern
education systems.