May 22, 2018, (Ireland) Offaly Express: Offaly schools to gain extra SNAs in September ---Offaly TD welcomes the additions https://www.offalyexpress.ie/news/home/314497/offaly-schools-to-gain-extra-snas-in-september.html Offaly classrooms will gain 32 extra SNAs this coming September, Offaly Fine Gael TD Marcella Corcoran Kennedy has said. This will bring the total number of SNAs for September 2018 to 274.59 locally, with 206.09 for Primary, 47.50 for Post Primary and 21 for Special Schools. Marcella said: “The aim of this Government is to ensure that children with special educational needs can be supported to fully participate in schools and fulfil their potential." “Special Needs Assistants play a key role in ensuring this and I would like to firstly take this opportunity to pay credit to the fantastic work that they do in schools across Offaly."… Following on from this week's allocation, there will be a total of 15,000 Special Needs Assistants working in our schools around the country. “This increased investment reflects the priority which the Government has put on helping children with special educational needs to fulfil their potential," Marcella said. “It also reflects the growing participation of children with Special educational Needs in the Education System and the capacity of our Education system to better support their full participation and progression."… Minister Bruton said: “More children with Special Educational Needs are participating than ever before and we are investing more than ever before to support this." “In 2018 my Department will invest in the region of €1.75 billion in special education, almost one fifth of the entire education budget and 39% increase on 2011.”
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Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.
Anne Dachel, Media editor, Age of Autism
http://www.ageofautism.com/media/
(John Dachel, Tech. assist.)
What will happen in another 4 years? How can we go on like this? This is a national (and international) problem of monumental proportions. We have an entire new class of children who cannot be accommodated by the system: many are manifestly neurologically impaired. Meanwhile, the government and the medical profession sleep on regardless.
John Stone,
UK media editor, Age of Autism
The generation of American children born after 1990 are arguably the sickest generation in the history of our country.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
It seemed to me that with rising autism prevalence, you’d also see rising autism costs to society, and it turns out, the costs are catastrophic.
They calculated that in 2015 autism cost the United States $268 billion and they projected that if autism continues at its current rate, we’re looking at one trillion dollars a year in autism costs by 2025, so within five years.
Toby Rogers, PhD, Political economist
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