Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms Campbell and Ms Kinross for joining us today. Everything they have said has been very informative. A couple of my questions have already been asked, but I would like to tease them out a bit more. On the assessment of need, it has been brought to our attention that the assessment of need in other jurisdictions has a legislative base in exactly what it contains. Is it the case in Scotland that an assessment of need is defined through legislation? Will Ms Campbell comment on that?

My other question is in relation to school places. Regarding school places here, we have special educational needs officers, SENOs, who help parents, etc. How does it happen in Scotland when there is a diagnosis or when a loved one has an autistic child? Do they get in contact with a local school authority which gives them a series of school places? Do they work directly with the parents? Will the witnesses talk us through how that happens, that a school place is identified for that autistic child?

My final question is in relation to supports for parents. We have many excellent support groups for parents right throughout Ireland at the moment, many of which are dependent on fundraising, etc. In Scotland, are there such parents' support groups? How are they funded? What are the outcomes of those parents' support groupsvis-à-visworking with the Government, autistic children, etc.? Will the representatives comment on their experiences in relation to support groups for parents?