What to do if you think your child has special educational needs
If you think your child or young person has special educational needs (SEN) you should speak to someone about your concerns. This could be:
- a Health Visitor
- your GP
- a childminder, or staff at your childs pre-school or nursery
- a school teacher or Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo)
- a college or training tutor
- a Social Worker
They will be able to talk to you about the different steps that can be taken to help your child or young person.
If you feel your child may have a neurodevelopmental condition such as Autism or ADHD, you may wish to find out about the neurodevelopmental pathway.
You may also find these guides helpful:
If you child is school age, you can find out how their school supports children with additional needs by reading their SEND Information Report and Policy. These documents will be published on the school website, but will also be available from staff at the school.
Information about how all educational settings in Southend are expected to support children with SEND can be found in this guide "Southend SEND: what happens next - a graduated response to special educational needs and disabilities".