The European Parliament made a declaration on "dys'crimination and social exclusion affecting children with "dys'abilities, pointing out that, according to estimates, more than 10% of children are affected each year by one or other "dys"-type disability such as dysphasia, dyspraxia, dyslexia, dyscalculia or attention deficit disorder, etc. The statistics on these disorders need to be refined. This type of "dys'ability, which badly impairs communication from a very early age, goes unidentified in many Member States, and research into these "dys'abilities, including research co-ordinated under the Seventh Framework Programme, must be stepped up.

Parliament felt that the only way to prevent "dys'crimination against affected children is to give them early, intensive and multidisciplinary treatment in appropriate structures (either in the normal school environment with appropriate special care, or in a specialised establishment. It asked the Commission and the Council to do the following :

1) to draw up a charter for "dys" children ;

2) to encourage the recognition of "dys"-type problems as disabilities ;

3) to promote best practices regarding :

-making information accessible ;

-taking timely steps to identify, screen, systematically diagnose and treat these disorders at an early stage designing effective learning structures within both the ordinary and the specialist educational environment for young children, adolescents and young adults ;

-adapting structures for integrating young people with these disabilities into the world of work ;

-promoting the creation of a European multidisciplinary network on specific learning difficulties, and by this means to collect and study information and promote the coordination of cross-border actions, as well as institutional dialogue.

T6-0506/2007