Autism tutors given 7 years to get primary qualification

TUTORS working at the country’s 13 applied behavioural analysis (ABA) schools will be allowed up to seven years to acquire formal teacher training as part of the Department of Education proposals to transform the schools’ structure.

It emerged this week letters of offer proposing how the Department of Education could take over the schools’ funding, including recognising Saplings School Ltd and Autism Ireland as patrons to the schools, were posted. Cope Foundation’s application to be accredited as a school patron at the Cork ABA School has also been accepted by the department.

The Department of Education are eager for all the ABA schools to have fully trained teachers and not just ABA-trained tutors in place. It’s not yet known how parents will react to these suggestions as the schools are closed and principals have not been in contact with parents to discuss the contents of the letters.