National Supports - Educational Support

Lámh is the organisation that develops, promotes and maintains 'Lámh', the manual or 'key word' system of signs used by people with intellectual disabilities or communication needs in Ireland. You can read more about the development of Lámh, the signed system, here, or about its benefits as a communication tool here. You can also read more about the training provided by the organisation here. 

The Middletown Centre for Autism was established by the Department of Education, Northern Ireland and the Department of Education, Ireland. It promotes best practice in the education of children and young people with autism throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Centre provides training, research, learning support and assessment and advice to parents, family members and educational professionals. It also hosts an annual conference on the latest research and practical supports which is open to autistic people, family members, educators, researchers and professionals to attend. You can access their online resources via their homepage - these resources include a Teenage Resource, a Building Capacity Resource, and a Sensory Processing Resource, amongst others. 

The NCSE’s local service is delivered through a national network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs). They work with parents and schools and liaise with the HSE in providing resources to support children with special educational needs. Their FAQs page explains more about their service and what special education supports are available for children and young people. 

Details on the work of SENOs and how to contact your local team can be found here. You can also use their interactive map to find local contacts in your area and to see what special schools there are close to your home. 

See also their Online Resources section for parents which is divided out as follows: early years, primary school, post-primary school, special class/school. 

The National Parents Council (NPC) is a representative organisation for parents of children in early, primary and post-primary education. The NPC Helpline  is a confidential service for parents. If you have a query on any aspect of your child’s early years, primary or post primary education, the Helpline can be contacted from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, by phone on: 01 8874477, or by emailing: helpline@npc.ie. The NPC provides training, development and support for parents, including this series of information leaflets. The NPC also works as an advocacy organisation, representing parents' and children’s voices through its representation on external bodies and other mediums.  

Parenting Support provides local information on parenting supports and services in Kildare and Wicklow. Their parenting training schedule includes online zoom webinars (free to attend) as well as pre-recorded webinars (also free to access). You will find details of their Kildare supports and Wicklow supports also. 

Pobal administers and manages Government and EU funding to address disadvantage and support social inclusion. One of the Pobal programmes is the AIM Access and Inclusion Model. It is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the ECCE programme. It can provide a range of supports from level 1 to level 7, moving from universal to targeted supports. The AIM application process for each new pre-school year opens in May of that year. See the FAQs section of the AIM website for further information. 

Sound Advice (formerly Irish Deaf Kids) works to support inclusive education in mainstream schools in Ireland by highlighting hearing technology and digital tools that deaf children, students and graduates can use. They also guide parents, educators, policymakers and employers on how to use technology as a leveller.