Parents of disabled children forced to shell out to avoid supports delays

Parents of children with disabilities are being forced to pay for private assessments to avoid long waits for extra school supports, a parents’ organisation has claimed.

The National Council for Special Education has told schools they must apply by Sept 20, just three weeks into the school year, for resource teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) for pupils not already given these supports.

Staff were approved for tens of thousands of children in June, but pupils whose schools had not applied by mid-March must wait until all applications received up to Friday week are considered.