NEW targeted reforms aimed at improving the Assessment of Need (AON) process for children and their families should reduce the waitlist, Limerick Minister Patrick O’Donovan has said.
Key measures announced include 11 new support teams to work with assessment officers, comprising 44 expert staff, including psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, and administrators who will provide clinical guidance and support during the AON process.
There will be guidelines for assessment officers to make clear that the AON process should be focused on establishing the needs for a child, rather than lengthy and complex reports on a diagnosis of disability.
A single point of access system will launch next year, making it easier for families to be referred to the right service.
In addition, the Autism Assessment and Intervention Protocol, launching in February 2026, will provide a faster route to autism diagnosis than the AON route.
The changes will not remove any rights for parents to apply for an assessment of need for their child, nor will they alter the statutory six‑month timeline set out in the Disability Act, Minster O’Donovan confirmed. In the first three quarters of 2025, 4,534 assessments of need were completed.
The Minister added: “Too many families have been waiting far too long for assessments, and these reforms will help tackle the backlog.”
The Department of Education and Youth is also working to agree a new process to remove the requirement for professional reports, such as AON reports, from entry requirements for special schools and classes.