Children
with special educational needs all have learning difficulties or
disabilities that make it harder for them to learn. These children
may need extra or different help from that given to other children
of the same age.
If you think your child may have a special educational need that
has not been identified by their school or early education setting,
you should talk to your child’s class teacher, the Special
Educational Needs Coordinator or the headteacher straight away.
If your child is not yet at school or not yet going to an early
education setting, you can talk to your doctor or health visitor
who will be able to give you advice about the next steps to
take.
If your child is in secondary school, you should talk to the
child’s form teacher, Special Educational Needs Coordinator, head
of year or headteacher.
- Remember, you are a partner in your child’s education. There
are many things you can do to help, here are a few
suggestions:
- Listen to your child; encourage and praise them to keep their
self-esteem high
- You know your child better than anyone; share all the
information you have about them with the school and any other
professionals involved
- Keep in touch with the school and discuss how you can work in
partnership to support your child
- Always contact school if you have any concerns or questions
about your child’s education
- Find out as much as you can about special educational
needs
- Ask to see the school’s policy on special educational
needs
Working together with your child’s school will often help to
sort out worries and problems. The closer you work with your
child’s school, the more successful any help for your child can
be.
Remember – you know your child better than anyone.