As reported by BBC News, parents of children with special needs express serious worries as strikes by support staff, including bus drivers and classroom assistants, threaten closures in special schools
The Education Authority (EA) made the exemption plea and union Unite has agreed to meet the EA over the issue.
However, unions have turned down the request on previous strike days.
Parents have told BBC News NI about their serious concerns over school closures.
Ann Marie O’Neill, whose 10-year-old son Eoin has a rare genetic condition, said he is being forgotten.
Glenveagh School in Belfast, which Eoin attends, has said it will close on the eight strike days due to the “degree of staffing deficiency and associated risks”.
Ms O’Neill said the disruption will have a “massive impact” on Eoin, who is heavily reliant on routine.
“Once again it’s the children with special needs who are disproportionately impacted,” she said.
“The mainstream schools are, at most, impacted for a day but the children who are the most vulnerable are just not being seen and we feel like we’re not being heard and that our children don’t matter.
“If this was impacting mainstream schools people would be shouting from the rooftops and it wouldn’t be allowed to happen.”
Emma Morgan, from campaign group SEN Reform NI, said her she was aware of parents who “burst into tears” when they heard about the closures.
“People are trying to keep jobs, manage other caring responsibilities,” she added.
“Many children with additional needs have significant behavioural problems as well so they can be taken out on the parents at home.”
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said public sector pay disputes in Northern Ireland could be resolved “rapidly” if the Stormont executive was restored.
A £3.3bn financial package has been tabled by the government, including almost £600m to solve the pay dispute, if the DUP ends its boycott and power-sharing government in Northern Ireland returns.
A Northern Ireland Office spokesperson said the secretary of state and the government had no authority to negotiate public sector pay in Northern Ireland.
“It is for the relevant Northern Ireland departments to negotiate pay policies,” the spokesperson said.
“The secretary of state has expressed his disappointment that a new executive was not up and running to take the offer on the table and deliver it for the people of Northern Ireland before Christmas.
“It is now for the NI parties to come together, restore the Executive and begin to address the challenges facing the people of Northern Ireland, including public sector pay.”
However, Unite said its members “are clear that our secretary of state continues to fail them badly”.
The union added that it understood the EA cannot meaningfully progress the pay dispute “due to the funding required not being provided by the secretary of state”.
In a statement, the Education Authority said: “The EA will work closely with all schools to implement where possible a range of contingency measures to minimise disruption for children and young people, as we very much recognise the impact that industrial action may have for our pupils, schools, and families.
“EA has asked for a derogation for special school staff as we fully understand that this impacts on the most vulnerable of our children and the EA is making every effort to minimise disruption and keep parents, children and young people informed.”
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