St. Hilda's earmarked for new embedded therapy service

St. Hilda's Special School in Athlone is one of 45 schools across the country to benefit from the recruitment of on-site therapists within the school community as part of the first phased roll-out of the new Education Therapy Services (ETS) initiative.

The Education Therapy Service, which is a standalone commitment under the Programme for Government is designed to strengthen supports for children with special educational needs, and will see therapy services being embedded into schools.

St. Hilda's Special School on Grace Park Road is one of 45 special schools earmarked for the first phased roll-out of the initiative, which was announced on Friday last, with the move being described by Education Minister, Hildegarde Naughton, as “a major step forward” in how children with additional needs are supported in school. “By embedding therapists directly within school communities, we are ensuring that children can access timely, practical and joined-up support in the place where they learn every day” said the Minister.

Minister for Special Education and Inclusion, Michael Moynihan TD, clarified that the new service is designed to “supplement, not replace” existing children's health and disability services and will operate in a coordinated and complementary manner alongside NEPS, Primary Care, Children’s Disability Services and CAMHS.

The roll-out of the new service is set to continue throughout the year, alongside an on-going national recruitment campaign to ensure that therapy needs across the school system are met, according to the Department of Education.