I am worried about my child's progress...
Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)
First Steps
Your first step is to talk to the school or early years setting, such as a day nursery or a preschool playgroup.
If your child is homeschooled you can speak to your GP or the Elective Home Education Team. If the child is too young for nursery or school speak to your health visitor.
Ask them what they think and tell them your concerns. Sometimes that will be enough to put your mind at rest. To make sure there is enough time to discuss any problems it may be necessary to request a meeting.
You may wish to ask:
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Does the setting think my child is having any difficulties? |
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Is my child at the same level as other children of his/her own age? |
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Is my child already getting extra help? Is so, what sort of help is being offered? |
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If after discussions have taken place you are happy - that is fine. If not, you may wish to ask to speak to the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) |
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If you do not understand what is being said - do not be afraid to ask questions. |
Don't forget to share information
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Say when you first noticed the difficulty and if it is getting worse. |
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Say if you have mentioned it to anyone before. |
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Say if anyone else in the family has similar difficulties. |
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Say how your child is at home. Are you doing anything to help at home? Can the setting suggeest any better ways to help? |
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Do not forget if there are problems at home it could be affecting your child. It may help the school to know if a death or divorce or some other upset has affected your child. |
Remember
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You know your child better than anyone. Have confidence in yourself and be ready to share information. |
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The teacher or keyworker sees your child in a different setting and has knowledge and experience that can be shared with you. |
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Your encouragement and praise for your child is very important. |
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Children pick up feelings from how their parents and teachers talk about them. Working together is important. |
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Listen to what your child says - it helps them to think carefully and feel that people take notice of what they say |
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Being informed and involved will help. Read leaflets, books and watch TV programmes about special educational needs. |