AQW 18006/22-27

Mrs Michelle Guy
Alliance Party
Lagan Valley

Tabled Date: 11/11/2024
Answered On Date: 05/12/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) whether the Education Authority Educational Psychology Service tracks the number of referrals made by Speech and Language Therapists for children of pre-school age; and (ii) the number of these referrals that have been (a) taken forward; and (b) rejected in the last five years.

Answer:

The Education Authority (EA) has confirmed that the Educational Psychology Service records all referrals from Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) under the category of ‘designated medical officer’. It does not track the number of referrals made specifically by SLTs.