Saint Paul’s is a school which caters solely for children with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis. The school was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1971 as an outreach from the Child Guidance Clinic of the Mater Hospital. Today, it is managed by a Board of Management and funded by the Department of Education and Skills. There are eight classes in the Main School in St Pauls’. These classes cater for boys and girls in small groups taking into account pupils’ ages and individual support needs. Classes are taught by a specialist class teacher supported by highly experienced Special Needs Assistants. Classes follow the National Curriculum and are guided by the IEPs devised for the individual pupils. Teaching and Learning is supported by the inputs from the Multi-Disciplinary Team based in St Pauls’.
Our aim is to provide an Education to each child, which reflects their needs and is delivered in a holistic manner. Therefore we look to all the needs of the child whether these are social, spiritual, physical or academic.
We have ten full-time teachers and several part-time teachers. In addition to Primary Curriculum subjects classes are provided in Woodwork, Pottery, Horticulture, Music, and Art. Supplementary to this, Play Therapy is provided by our resident Play Therapist. There are thirty-five Special Needs Assistants who assist the children ensuring that they can safely engage in learning activities throughout the school day. They are an integral part of the provision of care and education of the children in St Pauls’ Special School. The staff at the school works closely with the Multi-Disciplinary team in St. Paul’s Hospital, which is based on the same campus. The Clinical Team based on St. Paul’s site, comprises of Psychiatry, Clinical and Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists Occupational Therapists and Nursing Staff. This ensures that a multi-disciplinary team is available to each child attending St Pauls’ Special School
St. Paul’s Early Intervention Class is attended by six pupils aged between 3 and 6 years with a diagnosis of DSM V (Autism). Children, depending on their age, can spend up to a maximum of 2 years in this class. Multi-Disciplinary supports for children attending this class are the same as for the main school. Criteria for entry to this class can be viewed on the enrolment policy specific to the Early Intervention Class. Enrolment into the Early Intervention Class does not provide a student with an entitlement to a Main School placement.
St. Pauls’ Service, affiliated with the Mater hospital, shares close proximity and links to St. Pauls’ Special School and shares their values and ethos. Families can be offered the opportunity for overnight respite in three community based houses in the Dublin 9 area. The respite service is supported by the comprehensive multi-disciplinary team that engages with the school. The houses are designed to replicate a home from home environment and are bright, modern, spacious and welcoming. Experienced staff develop individual plans that places the child at the center and supports the children to live as independently as possible and learn and practice skills. Children are also supported to engage in activities they like and social activities are promoted. For further inquiries, please phone 01-8377673
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