§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans the Northern Ireland Department for Education currently has to support children who are dyslexic. [HL3787]
§ Lord Williams of MostynThe educational provision for children with special educational needs is a statutory responsibility of the education and library boards. Most provision for children with dyslexia can be made in school, with supportive organisation and planning, and sometimes with outside assistance from an education and library board reading centre, or peripatetic or outreach literacy support.
Following publication of the report of the Northern Ireland Education Task Group on Dyslexia in May 2002, a follow-up consultative conference was held in September 2002. Consequently, the education and library boards have prepared costed proposals for implementation of the report's recommendations, which the department is currently considering.
In the autumn it is expected that a joint Department of Education/Department of Education and Science working group will complete work on a video to provide support and information for parents of children newly diagnosed with dyslexia and a CD-ROM intended to provide a more detailed toolkit for teachers.
In conjunction with its inspectorate and the education and library boards, the Department of Education is evaluating the effectiveness of two alternative models of intervention on children with dyslexia.