Members from the Assembly’s Committee for Education and Committee for Health held an informal meeting in Middletown, County Armagh, on Wednesday 19 February.
During the visit, members met staff at the Middletown Centre for Autism, an all-island centre of excellence, where they listened to a presentation about its work.
They then travelled to the nearby Middletown Parish Church Hall, to receive briefings on issues around autism, special educational needs (SEN) and mental health.
Nick Mathison MLA, the Chairperson of the Committee for Education, said: “We are very grateful to the Middletown Centre for Autism for their welcome and presentation on the great work they do. It is important for us as a Committee to engage with local communities across Northern Ireland on the important issues around SEN learning and autism.
“There are undoubtedly huge challenges in how education and health need to collaborate and work jointly to do better for our SEN learners, so it was invaluable to learn about the dissemination of good practice and hear insight from key officials.”
Philip McGuigan MLA, Chairperson of the Committee for Health, said: “It was important for the Committee for Health to travel to County Armagh to see first-hand the excellent services provided by staff at the Middletown Centre for Autism.
“It is very important that we continue to work closely with the Committee for Education to bring about positive benefits for young people with autism and their families.”
