A series of information meetings for parents and guardians of children with special educational needs are being held from next month in preparation for the 2015 school year.

The information sessions are being organised across the country for the first time by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

They will be delivered by Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) throughout the State, providing practical information on what educational services and supports are available in local areas and how to access them.

While organisers regularly meet parents as part of their work, this new programme will bring a more structured approach to delivering information, the NCSE says.

At the launch of the initiative in St Audoen’s National School, Cook Street, Dublin, yesterday, Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan said: “It means that parents of children with special educational needs will have more opportunities to access all of the correct information, which will help them to make informed choices about their children’s educational needs.”

The first sessions will take place from October and November and are aimed at parents whose children will start school in September 2015.

Around one in five children currently receives extra help in schools for a range of learning and special needs, the NCSE says, and this lead to many queries from parents.

Parents who would like to take part in a session should contact their local organiser to find out about local dates and venues. Contact details are on the NCSE website (ncse.ie).

At the sessions, the roles of school staff will be explained and the various schemes for accessing other supports such as special classes, transport or assistive technology will be outlined.

NCSE head of research and communications Jennifer Doran said: “Parents have told us and our research has confirmed, that information on services and supports is crucial but often difficult to find. These local sessions will go a long way to providing clearer information to parents about how the education system works for their children.”