Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy and Assistive Technology in Irish Schools
Many parents assume that once their child is in school with an SEN designation, therapists will arrive. In a well-resourced system, they would. In Ireland's current system, school-based therapy is a patchwork of waiting lists, visiting therapists, and private costs that many families cannot sustain.
Here is a realistic account of how occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and assistive technology are accessed in Irish schools — and what to do when the state provision isn't there.
Occupational Therapy in Schools
Occupational therapists (OTs) in the Irish school context work on the skills children need to access education: fine motor development, sensory processing, handwriting, and participation in school activities. HSE OTs may visit schools as part of CDNT service delivery for children on their caseload — but given current waiting lists, many children never receive school-based OT from the HSE.
HSE CDNT OT: Available in theory for children on the CDNT's active caseload. Reaching the active caseload requires first completing the Assessment of Need (AON) process, which is currently taking 12-18+ months in many areas. Even after completing the AON, there is typically a further wait for intervention services.
Private OT assessment costs: A comprehensive occupational therapy assessment costs €650–€850 at 2025/2026 market rates. This produces a written report with specific educational recommendations but does not provide ongoing therapy itself — each therapy session is separately costed at €80–€150 per session.
What OT recommendations can do for your child's SSP: An OT report that specifies, for example, that a child requires a sloped writing board, specific pencil grip, or sensory breaks within the school day can be incorporated directly into the School Support Plan. The school cannot refuse a reasonable accommodation of this kind simply because the OT is private.
Speech and Language Therapy in Schools
Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) support children with communication difficulties, language processing issues, fluency disorders, and autism-related communication needs.
HSE CDNT SLT: As with OT, school-based SLT through the HSE is primarily available to children on an active CDNT caseload, with the same AON bottleneck. The HSE's single-point-of-access reforms scheduled for 2026 aim to improve this, but waiting times remain severe in the 2025/2026 school year.
Private SLT assessment costs: Comprehensive speech and language therapy assessment: €400–€700. Individual therapy sessions: €80–€120 per session at typical private rates. This is not reimbursable under standard HSE pathways, and insurance coverage varies significantly.
School Support Plans and SLT recommendations: If a private SLT report recommends specific strategies — visual supports for communication, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools, specific comprehension scaffolding — these belong in the SSP. The Special Education Teacher should be implementing these strategies during SET sessions.
If the school claims it cannot implement SLT recommendations because it doesn't have a therapist on staff, the response is that the SLT has provided the strategy — it's the role of the SET to implement it as a teaching technique, not to replicate therapy.
Assistive Technology in Schools
Assistive technology (AT) covers a range of tools and devices that support students with disabilities to access the curriculum: text-to-speech software, word prediction tools, adapted keyboards, communication devices, reading apps.
NCSE Assistive Technology Grant: For students with physical or sensory disabilities, the NCSE can sanction assistive technology through the SENO. The application process requires professional reports documenting the need for specific equipment and an assessment by a relevant specialist (e.g., OT, SLT, educational psychologist).
The key issues:
- The AT grant process can be slow — applications take time to process
- The grant covers equipment, not software subscriptions in all cases
- Once equipment is provided, the school has responsibility for ensuring the student can use it — training for both the student and relevant staff should be part of the AT plan
Mainstream AT available without the grant: Many schools already have text-to-speech software (such as ClaroRead or similar) available as part of their AT provision, particularly at post-primary level for students preparing for State Examinations. Ask the school what AT is currently available before initiating a grant application.
AT for State Examinations: Assistive technology accommodations for Junior Cert and Leaving Cert examinations are administered separately by the State Examinations Commission. Documentation requirements are specific and must be in place before the relevant deadline in 1st or 5th year. Leaving this too late is one of the most common and preventable failures at second level.
Free Download
Get the Ireland NEPS & SEN Meeting Prep Checklist
Everything in this article as a printable checklist — plus action plans and reference guides you can start using today.
Requesting Therapy and AT: What to Actually Do
- For school-based OT or SLT support: request that the school include therapy recommendations from any professional report into the School Support Plan, with specific named strategies to be implemented by the SET
- For an NCSE AT grant: ask your SENO what the application process is and what reports are needed — your SENO can provide the relevant application documentation
- For HSE CDNT access: ensure you have an active AON application submitted and are registered on the CDNT waiting list. Ask the CDNT in writing for the current estimated wait time and request written confirmation of your position on the list
- For private therapy: check Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) and CORU (the health and social care regulator) registers for qualified practitioners in your area
When Private Therapy and School Are Disconnected
One of the most common — and most damaging — patterns in Irish SEN provision is when a child receives private therapy outside of school hours with no communication between the therapist and the school. The private OT develops strategies, writes a report, and the school never sees it. Or the report arrives, sits in a file, and nobody implements anything because nobody was briefed.
This disconnect is not inevitable, but it requires active management by the parent.
Ask your private therapist to:
- Write the report with school implementation in mind — specific, named strategies the SET teacher can use in daily practice
- Provide a one-page summary of "top 5 strategies for this child's school day" alongside the full report
- If possible, offer a brief phone or video consultation with the school's SET teacher to explain the strategies directly
Ask the school to:
- Acknowledge receipt of the private therapy report in writing
- Confirm which recommendations will be incorporated into the SSP and in what timeframe
- Identify which staff member is responsible for implementing each recommendation
If the school receives a professional report and does nothing with it — no SSP update, no conversation — that is a failure to make reasonable accommodation under the Equal Status Acts. The report exists. The recommendations are documented. Inaction is a choice the school is making, not an unavoidable consequence.
For a complete guide to requesting therapy supports through the SSP, the AT grant process, and template letters, see the Ireland NEPS & SEN Blueprint.
Get Your Free Ireland NEPS & SEN Meeting Prep Checklist
Download the Ireland NEPS & SEN Meeting Prep Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.