Your child’s early years are a very important time for their physical, emotional, intellectual and social development. When your health visitor or doctor makes a routine check, they might suggest that there could be a problem. But if you have any worries of your own, you should get advice straightaway.

If your child is not yet at school or not yet going to an early education setting (nursery, children’s centre etc), you can talk to your doctor or health visitor who will be able to give you advice about the next steps to take.

If you think your child may have a learning difficulty or disability that has not been identified by the school or early education setting, you should talk to your child’s class teacher, to the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) (this is the person in the school or pre-school who has a particular responsibility for co-ordinating help for children with special educational needs) or the head teacher straightaway.

If your child is in secondary school, you should talk to the child’s form teacher, SENCO, head of year or head teacher.

It is best to start with your child’s teacher or SENCO . You will be able to talk over your concerns and find out what the school thinks. The SENCO will be able to explain what happens next.

Working together with your child’s teachers will often help to sort out worries and problems. The closer you work with your child’s teachers, the more successful any help for your child can be.  

The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice recommends a ‘graduated approach’ to teaching children and young people with learning difficulties and disabilities. means that once your child’s needs have been identified by your child’s teacher they will be placed at School Action (or Early Years Action in early education settings) of the Code of Practice.The teacher will ensure that your child’s work is based on an assessment of these needs and will discuss this with you. If your child does not make progress the teacher, together with the school’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), will draw up an Individual Education Plan (IEP). You will be involved in discussions about this.

If your child's learning difficulties continue to be complex, your child will be placed at School Action Plus (or Early Years Action Plus in early education settings) of the Code of Practice. Once this happens, your child's school will ask for additional help from teachers with experience in working with pupils with special educational needs, or other staff provided by Children’s Services, for example, the Educational Psychologist.