Salzburg districts face shortage of specialist kindergarten staff

Kindergartens in Salzburg’s districts are short of staff to support children with additional needs, ORF reports, as demand for specialised care rises across the state.

Children with diagnosed developmental disorders are generally supported in kindergarten by specially trained professionals. Such staff are in short supply, particularly outside the city of Salzburg.

Monika Baumann, who is responsible for kindergartens in the city, said staff had seen more children with autism or similar symptoms in recent years. She said children with sensory difficulties often need extra support to take part in group activities. Baumann suggested changing media habits among very young children could be one factor.

The city currently has 85 specially trained staff working in its kindergartens. The state government plans to push for a larger budget for this work at federal level. The state said, in response to an ORF inquiry, that it does not currently collect comprehensive figures on how many children in Salzburg are on the autism spectrum.