1. Reasons for policy and legislative changes in Ireland

2. The decline of religious orders in Ireland and public concern about the education and well being of children with special needs
• Changing societal beliefs about the importance of education for all children and a shift in attitudes from the medical to the social model of thinking
• The legal recognition of the rights of parents to have their children educated, as other children

3. International pressure from a worldwide lobby for the integration of children with special needs into mainstream schools
• National and local lobby groups representing parents’ groups and others were seeking appropriate educational placements for all children with special needs
• Developments in general education influenced the direction of SEN policy

4. Numerous Government reports , research and recommendations shaped the changes in policy
• Ireland ratified the UN Convention on Rights of the Child and became legally bound to fulfill the requirements of all the articles including those that relate to children with special needs and disability.