Children will no longer need an assessment of needs in order to receive special education

18,097 children are waiting on AON

Children with additional needs will no longer need an assessment of need (AON) to access appropriate school placements.

Right now, the assessment is needed for children if they want to secure a place in special schools or special classes.

This leads to thousands of children not being able to access appropriate school placements as the waiting list for an AON keeps on growing, per The Irish Mirror.

Some parents spend a hefty amount of money just to receive a report from a private therapist in order to get their child a spot in a special class or school.

According to the latest figures released in September, 18,097 children are waiting on AON.

A child is entitled under statutory law to an assessment within six months of referral by the HSE under the Disability Act.

Norma Foley announced plans to scrap the need for an AON for school placements by September 2027, declaring a series of new reforms for how the assessments are undertaken.

Under this new system, assessments will only need to identify the additional needs of the child, instead of a diagnosis of disability.

Parents will still be able to apply for AONs for their children, and the six-month timeline will still be in place, per The Irish Mirror.

Speaking today, Ms Foley said it will "take time to progress" through this list, and it "will not happen magically overnight".

She added: "We are absolutely determined to find a better process. It will absolutely take time, there’s no point in saying otherwise, but it will be a better system than the broken system that we have currently."

Minister Foley went on to say that the guidelines for assessment officers will focus on establishing the needs for a child, rather than lengthy and complex reports on a diagnosis of disability.