NI Education: Almost 400 children with special needs waiting on school place

About 390 children with special educational needs (SEN) in Northern Ireland are still waiting for a suitable school place for September.

That is according to the most recent figures from the Education Authority (EA).

But it also said that more than 5,000 children with a statement for SEN had a confirmed pre-school or school place.

The authority said it is "working to ensure all children will be placed appropriately as soon as possible".

"We absolutely recognise that this is an extremely anxious time for those parents/carers and children waiting for the confirmation of a school place," it said.

"Supporting children with SEN and ensuring all children with statements receive a placement which fully meets their needs to ensure that they are happy, learning and succeeding, remains a top priority."

The authority has also confirmed that fewer than five special schools out of 32 will close their nurseries in 2023/24 to admit more children into Primary One.

It did not, however, specify which special schools are affected.

"In areas of high demand, nursery children have been placed in a range of settings including specialist provisions in mainstream schools, satellite settings aligned with special schools and, in some cases, parents have opted for mainstream nursery settings with support," the Education Authority said.

The authority had warned in May of significant pressures on school places for children with special education needs for 2023/24.

Despite the progress that the authority has made in finding school places for many children with SEN, there are hundreds of families still uncertain about a suitable school place for their child even though the summer holidays have begun.

BBC News NI has been speaking to some.

Finn McCabe's statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN) has not yet been finalised

'He gets frustrated'

Dearbhla McCabe is still seeking a suitable pre-school place for her three-year-old son Finn.

Finn is autistic, non-verbal and has sensory issues.

Given Finn's needs, Dearbhla said that a special school nursery would be most suitable for him.

"Finn has severe learning difficulties, he cannot even ask for a drink," she said.

"He gets frustrated as he can't communicate, but he will display challenging behaviour.

"If he was in a special school, they would have speech therapists to help him with his communication, whether to try to get him speaking or teaching a different way to communicate using different aids."

Finn's statement of special educational needs has not yet been finalised.

A statement is a legal document which sets out a child's needs and the support they should have in school.

Dearbhla said that Finn's statement should have been completed by now and that not knowing if he would have a pre-school place was very difficult.

She has two other children who have also been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

"There's nobody that knows their child better than a parent and I know what Finn needs.

"We're constantly trying to keep him safe and we're trying to keep a routine.

"I need to have some sort of consistency to know how I can go forward as a mother to provide for and support my children.

"At the minute all my attention is on fighting to make sure that Finn gets the education he is entitled to."

Fionn Kernohan's mother said the family is in limbo as he has no confirmed school place

'Stress and anxiety'

Cliodhna Kernohan's 4-year old son Fionn has no confirmed Primary One place in a special school for September.

"He is already statemented with severe learning difficulties and is non-verbal," she told BBC News NI.

"He still has toileting needs, he isn't there with it yet, we're doing everything we can but he isn't suitable for a mainstream school at all.

"Honestly I cannot tell you the stress, the anxiety and the lack of sleep."

Cliodhna said that the summer school holidays also meant it was harder to get answers.

She also said that other Primary One children with a place had been able to visit their new schools and meet their teachers before the term ended.

"As an autistic child as well, routine is so important.

"So we are really in limbo at the minute.

"I don't have anything to communicate to Fionn about what's happening.

"I don't understand how kids who need support more than ever, the government, the Education Authority, don't feel they are a priority.

"It's been an uphill battle for me to find support, get medical appointments, get him a pre-school place, get him support in pre-school.

"And now the most serious one that I face to date is getting a Primary One place for him."

'Barriers put in place'

The mother of Anna-Rose Houtman (left, pictured with her sister) said she needs a full-time classroom assistant

Laura Houtman's three-year-old daughter Anna Rose has trisomy 21 or Down's syndrome.

"Along with that, she has a learning disability and development delays," she said.

"She's very intuitive, she understands everything you tell her and she communicates using Makaton."

Anna Rose has been offered a place in a mainstream pre-school, but no additional support in the form of a trained classroom assistant is yet in place for her.

"She needs a full-time classroom assistant," Laura said.

But as Anna Rose's statement is only a draft at present that is not in place.

"It has to be an appropriate classroom assistant that has the skills and experience of working with children with Down's syndrome," she added.

"The process is very stressful, it's been very cumbersome and time-consuming.

"It really has highlighted to me how differently my child has been treated and it shouldn't be like that.

"If my child didn't have a disability I would have known on 28 April where she was going.

"There just seems to be all these barriers put in place.

"The future for any child is bright with the right intervention."