Mentally Ill Children Abandoned by the State

[Block G Raptor]

was reading this article in the Irish Times today (http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0218/1203093442931.html), and unfortunately it is all to similar to the reality faced by myself and my partner on a daily basis. her 6 year old son is waiting for a psychological assessment to diagnose the cause behind his series emotional and intellectual problems. he's been on a waiting list to go onto a waiting list for a local mental health clinic since last summer, and is at the stage now where his mainstream national school may no longer be able to cope with his behaviour. the school have recommended that he be assigned a Special Needs Assistant (SNA) but the department of Education will not provide the service in the absence of a psychological assessment, meanwhile our little boy is falling further and further behind in school and indeed in his quality of life. just wanted to put this out there to see if people had opinions or similar experiences on this

[osarusan]

Children wait over a year to see psychiatrist

More than 1,000 children are waiting for psychiatric assessments for more than a year, despite evidence that delays in treatment can leave young people at a much higher risk of becoming chronically unwell, official figures show.

taken from the link provided by Block G above - http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0218/1203093442931.html

That's all you can get unless you have a subscription.

[GavinZac]

Mental health is certainly a major issue in this country. However, being "abandoned by the state" is pure sensationalist political point scoring, as how exactly does one reduce a waiting list without hiring more psychologists? There simply arent enough to go around, a reality that needs to be addressed.

In the mean time, we seem to have a surplus of the less qualified people in that particular 'industry', in terms of social workers and therapists. The solution is not pouring more money into the industry but is something that needs to be addressed, long term. There are only 4 million of us to go around so while we're all focusing on skills in other areas, this is apparently something that has not had the desired availability of qualified people. I know this from experience.

There are also not enough SNAs to go around, micls can tell you more about this, but they are apparently making a big recruitment drive in that area. While those resources are pressed, it only makes sense to have limiting factors on who can access them.

[Block G Raptor]

There are also not enough SNAs to go around, micls can tell you more about this, but they are apparently making a big recruitment drive in that area. While those resources are pressed, it only makes sense to have limiting factors on who can access them.

In our experience that is not the case at all. there are enough SNA's but the Dept of Education are reluctant to fund them in schools

[GavinZac]

In our experience that is not the case at all. there are enough SNA's but the Dept of Education are reluctant to fund them in schools
As far as I know, they made up a big proportion of the hired graduates last year. Micls will correct me if I'm wrong, I'm sure. I'm entirely basing that on her word so if there are figures about, I wont argue with them :)

[Block G Raptor]

As far as I know, they made up a big proportion of the hired graduates last year. Micls will correct me if I'm wrong, I'm sure. I'm entirely basing that on her word so if there are figures about, I wont argue with them :)

I'm not talking figures just what the principle of the school told us.
Also my bosses wife is an SNA and he also mentioned the criminal lack of funding for them in school's in a conversation we had over lunch last week. not exactly verifiable sources I know but I'm inclined to believe them.

[Poor Student]

Gavin, over 100 people a year apply for the 10 places in the clinical psychology degree at UCD. Trinity, Galway and Limerick offer a similar paucity of places. There's plenty of demand to study it but too few places.

[micls]

In our experience that is not the case at all. there are enough SNA's but the Dept of Education are reluctant to fund them in schools

A lot of SNA's in my (very limited) experience are unqualified, but even that is far preferable to not having one.

In my own situation, a child in my class is in need of an SNA according to our Resource teacher, and has been for a few years.

However because of lack of funding, the department have said that they can only provide an SNA if he is violent or majorly disruptive in class. For the most part the child is neither, but slips further and further behind because of an undiagnosed problem which means he cannot concentrate or work independently.

[John83]

I'm under the impression that the problem with SNAs seems to stem from the mainstreaming of children with mental disabilities. It's a relatively recent course of action to take with them and the structures to deal with them aren't mature yet. I'm not even sure it's a good idea. My mother is an SNA, and the impression I get from her is that these kids don't get anything from the mainstream classes and many are incredibly disruptive in the classrooms. I seem to remember reading stories in newspapers when I was a kid, where parents of kids like this were demanding that little Johnny be let into the mainstream schools. I don't think it was a good idea to give in to that.

[Maz]

I'm under the impression that the problem with SNAs seems to stem from the mainstreaming of children with mental disabilities. It's a relatively recent course of action to take with them and the structures to deal with them aren't mature yet. I'm not even sure it's a good idea. My mother is an SNA, and the impression I get from her is that these kids don't get anything from the mainstream classes and many are incredibly disruptive in the classrooms. I seem to remember reading stories in newspapers when I was a kid, where parents of kids like this were demanding that little Johnny be let into the mainstream schools. I don't think it was a good idea to give in to that.
I find it to be the complete opposite case in the school I am in. Most mainstream schools refuse to take special need children without all assessments and the likes being in place first. The children here who have SNA's within the classroom are treated the same but with extra resource help available to them. They certainly do learn from the other children in their class and it also helps the other children to accept those with special needs and indeed brings out a caring side to them within the class.
Children with special needs do most of the same activities as the others, partake in sports...basketball swimming football training. I know not every child with special needs is the same but at the moment, there is very little disruption within the classroom or in the yard.

[Ringo]

I'm under the impression that the problem with SNAs seems to stem from the mainstreaming of children with mental disabilities. It's a relatively recent course of action to take with them and the structures to deal with them aren't mature yet. I'm not even sure it's a good idea. My mother is an SNA, and the impression I get from her is that these kids don't get anything from the mainstream classes and many are incredibly disruptive in the classrooms. I seem to remember reading stories in newspapers when I was a kid, where parents of kids like this were demanding that little Johnny be let into the mainstream schools. I don't think it was a good idea to give in to that.

Most children who go into mainstream with intellectual disabilities are too bright to be put into special schools with children who have massive needs. Some childrens problems only show up as the develop. You’ll find that as children develop in mainstream schools some will need extra help & some will show up as being intellectually disabled. It is wrong to put these children in special schools. With extra help they can flourish. Schools only take children at certain levels of intellectual disabilititys. There does however need to be some qualifications for SNA's. at the moment anyone can be one.